973,7 
R2511 


Reed,  P.  Fishe 

Incidents  of  the  War,  or 
The  Romance  and  Realities 
of  Soldier  Life 


£  \ 

IIUMCJS  HISTORICAL  SURVEY 


973,7 
R2511 


OF  THE 


WAR; 


OR,  THE 


ROMANCE  AND  REALITIES 

o, 

SOLDIER  LIFE. 


3P.    FISHE    REE3D. 


En!'  rod  :!rrm-<H;>;»  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1802,  by 

.AS  HER   &    CO., 

In  the  Cl"i-k-*  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District,  of  Indian*. 


UNIVERSJTY  OF 

ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 

AT  URCAfMA-CHAMPAJGK 

ILL  HIST.  SURVEY 


PREFACE. 


In  all  theannals  of  warfare  there  have  been  no  battles  more  prolific  of  curious  IB* 
«.Mont,  and  individual  bravery  and  recklessness,  than  those  of  the  present  rebellion, 
'leu  of  previously  civil  natures  have  become  daring  heroes,  rushing  into  danger 
regardless  of  consequences,  and  defying,  to  their  very  mouth,  the  murderous  ma- 
'  bines  that  deal  such  terrible  death  npon  them.  A  bursting  shell,  instead  of 
terror,  produces  a  joke ;  a  bullet  or  a  bayonet,  more  fun  than  fear. 

Sparta,  in  her  palmiest  days  of  heroism,  recorded  no  greater  deeds  of  daring  and 
devotion,  no  more  magnificent  exploits  or  cooler  bravery  than  have  been  exhibited 
67  the  soldiery  of  both  armies  of  America.  The  Saracens,  who,  infatuated  with 
{he  reverence  of  the  terrible  Crescent,  swept  thorough  the  eastern  world  -like..* 
tornado,  who  went  forth  "conquering  and  to  conquer,"  till  even  invulnerable 
Rome  trembled  before  that  ominous  Crescent,  and  the  battle  cry  of  "  All^h  il 
Allah  ;"  nor  the  Crusaders,  whose  sacred  Cross,  in  after  years,  sent  terror  into  lha 
Mohammedan  ranks,  could  have  shown  a  greater  or  truer  devotion  to  the  emblo^klj 
.)f  their  power,  than  have  the  soldiers  of  the  North  for  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  that 
emblem  their  liberty. 

Our  soldiers,  are  brave,  shrewd  and  reckless  without  parallel,  and  their  deedi^? 
like  the  cral  traditions  of  ancient  days,  will  bo  preserved  in  the  heart*  of  th« 
people  forever ;  and  these  instances  of  individual  prowess  and  valor,  that  arc  sel- 
dom found  in  pages  of  more  ponderous  volumes,  are  e«er  the  fire-side  histories  that 
fr»ll  the  true  character  of  a  people.  To  this  end  is  this  volume  presented  to  th« 
Wblfc. 


INCIDENTS  OF  SOLDIER  LIFE. 


THE  VALOROUS  FIFTY-SEVEN. 

It  having  become  necessary  for  Gener.al  Bnrnside  to  he  made 
acquainted  with  the  force  and  condition  of  the  rebels  at  Fred- 
ericksburg,  and  the  surrounding  country,  he  requested  a  reeon- 
noissance  to  he  made  in  that  direction.  In  answer  to  this 
demand,  General  Siirel  selected  his  body  guard,  commanded  by 
Captain  Dahlgren,  with  a  portion  of  the  1st  Indiana  and  the  3rd 
Ohio  Cavalry.  It  was  a  perilous  undertaking,  for  to  pass  a 
hundred  horsemen  through  forty  miles  of  the  enemy's  territory, 
cross  a  larze  and  hridireless  river,  and  dash  into  a  town,  which, 
it  was  expected,  the  rebels  occupied  in  force,  was  no  delicate 
operation;  but  it  was  one  which  the  boys  hailed  as  a  holiday 
excursion. 

After  leaving  Gainesville  they  took  a  circuitous  route,  and  rode 
till  night,  when,  after  resting  a  few  hours,  they  pushed  on 
towards  the  river,  which  they  reached  just  at  daybreak,  and 
there,  upon  the  opposite  bank  stood  Fredericksburg.  Here  they 
met  with  a  difficulty  which  had  not  been  considered  in  the 
scheme.  When  the  Union  troops  evacuated  the  place,  six  months 
before,  they  burned  the  bridge,  and  it  had  not  been  rebuilt. 
The  tide  was  full;  so  with  a  good  deal  of  chagrin,  and  more 
impatience,  they  were  compelled  to  wait  for  the  ebbing  of  the 
tide.  Making  the  best  of  their  disappointment,  they  secreted 
themselves  in  the  woods,  and  held  council.  It  was  impossible 
for  them  to  remain  concealed,  in  their  present  position,  till  night 
should  give  them  an  opportunity  to  again  move  under  the  shelter 
of  its  darkness,  and  it  was  equally  impossible  for  thorn  to  cross 
thr:  river  at  flood-tide. 

At  last  two  of  the  Indianians  volunteered  to  ride  along  the 
river  side  and  reconnoitre.  Without  being  discovered,  they 
passed  down  the  river  till  they  were  some  distance  below  the 
town,  where  they  saw  a  ferryman  on  the  opposite  bank,  and 


g  INCIDENTS  OT 

representing  themselves  as  rebel  officers,  they  ordered  him  to 
row  over.  He  immediately  obeyed,  but  had  no  sooner  got  fairly 
landed  than  he  discovered  his  mistake,  for  he  was  made  a  pris- 
oner, and  compelled,  by  the  severest  threats,  to  give  the  scouts 
such  information  as  they  desired,  the  most  important  of  which 
was  that  the  town  contained  about  six  hundred  armed  men, 
mostly  dragoons. 

When  this  news  was  reported  to  Captain  Dahlgren  his  purpose 
was  fixed,  and  he  determined,  much  as  the  enemy's  force  ex- 
ceeded his  own,  to  push  boldly  into  the  town.  Luckily  for  them 
they  had  not  yet  been  discovered,  and  as  soon  as  the  tide  was 
sufficiently  low,  he  took  fifty -seven  Indianians  —  leaving  the 
Ohioans  on  the  northern  bank  —  and  crossed  the  river.  Reach- 
ing the  opposite  shore,  they  started  at  a  slow  trot,  hoping  to  take 
the  town  by  surprise;  but  their  movement  had  been  discovered; 
the  alarm  was  spreading,  and  the  town  was  all  astir. 

"And  there  was  hurrying  to  and  fro, 
And  gathering  tears,  and  tremblings  of  distress, 
And  cheeks  all  pale,  which  but  an  hour  ago," 

were  flushed  with  the  security  vouchsafed  by  six  hundred  chiv- 
alrous Southrons.  The  enemy  was  already  partly  in  the  saddle, 
and  bewildered  groups  of  horsemen  were  in  every  street. 

Captain  Dahlgren  saw  the  danger  attending  the  experiment, 
but  he  was  not  to  be  intimidated.  He  determined  to  fall  upon 
them  like  a  thunderbolt,  and  by  thus  increasing  the  confusion, 
which  he  perceived,  effect  his  purpose.  As  they  neared  the 
town,  he  spoke  a  few  encouraging  words  to  his  men,  and  then 
they  increased  their  trot  into  a  quick  gallop.  Swifter  and  swifter 
still  they  fly,  and,  whisking  through  the  air  like  so  many  John 
Gilpins,  the  gallant  fifty-seven,  with  drawn  sabres,  cheers  and 
shouts,  darted  into  the  town,  and  recklessly  rushed  down  the 
main  street.  Here  a  squad  of  rebel  horsemen  were  getting  into 
line,  but,  one  terrific  screech,  a  volley  of  pistolry,  and  one  grand 
flourish  of  sabres,  and  the  terror  stricken  chivalry  ingloriously 
fled. 

.  Turning  down  a  cross  street,  without  abating  their  furious 
gallop,  the  Captain  and  his  sturdy  followers  came  upon  another 
squad  of  rebel  cavalry.  These  made  a  desperate  resistance,  and 
for  a  short  time  the  dire  confusion  of  battle  reigned  supreme. 
The  trampling  of  hoofs,  the  clattering  of  scabbards,  the  sharp, 
ringing  clink  of  the  sabres  and  the  gory  gashes  that  followed, 
the  pistol  flash  and  rattle,  the  tumbling,  struggling  and  groaning 
of  the  horse  and  rider,  the  screaming  of  the  women  and  chil- 
dren, the  cheering  and  hurrahing  of  the  victors — a  short,  sharp, 
terrible  contest,  and  the  town  was  in  the  possession  of  the  gal- 
lant Fifty-seven. 


SOLDIER 

Once  the  rebels  attempted  to  recover  what  they  had  lost;  but 
a  repetition  of  northern  valor  scattered  them,  and  effectuallj 
drove  them  from  the  town. 

The  fruits  of  this  strange  victory  were  thirty-one  prisoners,  a 
number  of  horses  and  accoutrements,  sabres,  arms,  etc.  Captain 
Dahlgren  held  possession  of  the  town  for  three  hours,  long 
enough  to  convince  the  terrified  inhabitants  that  they  were  not 
to  be  injured,  and  then  retired. 

During  this  conflict  the  rebels  lost  twelve,  while  but  one  of  the 
Indianians  fell.  This  one  brave  fellow  fought  desperately, 
through  the  whole  engagement,  when,  after  it  was  over,  seeing 
a  large  rebel  flag  waving  from  a  window,  he  secured  it,  and 
wrapping  it  around  his  body,  was  returning  to  his  company, 
when  a  fatal  shot  was  fired  from  a  window  by  one  of  the  citizens. 
He  was  brought  to  the  northern  shore  and  buried  by  his  sorrow- 
ing companions,  beneath  the  forest  pines. 

What  a  thrilling  picture  is  this!  The  sweep  like  a  whirlwind 
— the  shout — the  rout — the  victory  !  Victory,  not  for  personal 
glory,  nor  for  ambition,  but  for  a  beloved  country.  The  fabulous 
fame  of  the  Black  Horse  cavalry  fades  into  insignificance  at  this 
glorious  achievement  of  these  valorous  fifty-seven  sons  of  the 
west.  General  Sigel  was  in  ecstacies  over  this  victory,  and  well 
be  might  be,  for  no  exploit  of  the  war  excels  it,  and  it  will  go 
down  to  history  as  one  of  the  grandest  on  record. 


MINGO,  THE  CONTRABAND. 

Among  the  contrabands  who  were  employed  to  \vork  on  the 
famous  canal,  that  was  to  effectually,  and  forever,  cut  off  Yicks- 
burgh  from  civilization  and  "the  rest  of  mankind,"  was  a  mid- 
dle-aged negro,  by  the  name  of  Mingo.  He  had  formerly  be- 
longed to  a  pious  old  rebel,  who  owned  a  plantation  some  miles 
cast  of  Vicksburg.  Mingo,  one  day,  having  obtained  leave  of 
absence,  came  up  to  camp  to  review  Uncle  Sam's  grand  army, 
and  grander  canal.  While  he  was  looking  wonders  at  the  oper- 
ation of  the  picks  and  shovcla.  he  was  accosted  by  one  of  the 
guard : 

"Well,  Cuffee,  what  do  you  think  of  it?" 

"Doesn't  know,  boss;  couldn't  tell  what  de  dcbil  massa  Lin- 
kum  do  wid  dis  big  ditch  " 

"It's  to  bury  the  niggers  in,"  replied  the  guard  gravely. 

"All  ob  um?"  inquired  Mingo,  dilating  his  eyes  to  their  ut- 
most. 


H  INCIDENTS  OF 

"Yes,"  replied  the  guard,  "every  d — n  nigger  iu  the  South  i* 
to  be  pitched  in  here,  and  covered  up." 

"What  for  dat?"  said  Mingo. 

"Because  the  nigger  is  the  cause  of  all  this  war,  and  as  soon 
as  they  are  all  out  of  the  way,  the  war  is  over." 

Mingo  showed  his  white  teeth,  and  replied: 

"Spec's  1  doesn't  bliebe  dat,  boss.  If  de  niggas  all  killed  off 
de  massas  still  hate  de  Yankee.  Dey  fight  urn  always,  if  dere 
ain't  no  niggas.  Spec's  I  know  what  dis  ditch  for,  sah." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think,  Sainbo?"  said  the  guard. 

"Spec's  massa  Linkum  can't  get  all  his  big  boats  by  Vicks- 
bnrg,  an'  he  dig  dis  big  ditch  so  he  hab  a  river  all  to  hisself. 
My  names  not  Sambo,  sah;  Mingo." 

"Good  for  you,  nigger.  Would  you  like  to  be  free,  Mingo?' 
said  the  guard. 

"  Spec's  i  would,  boss,  neber  tried  urn,"  replied  Mingo  mourn- 
fully. 

"  Who's  your  master?" 

•'Dey  calls  him  pious  Purdy." 

"  Pious,  is  he?" 

"Yes,  sah,  pious  wid  de  white  folks,  but  de  berry  debil  inong 
de  ni<rgas,  sah." 

"How's  that?  Don't  he  give  you  plenty  of  work  to  do,  and 
plenty  of  liquor  and  licking,  and  all  such  like?" 

"Yes,  boss,  plenty  ob  work,  sure,  and  two  licks  to  one  licker." 

"Well,  Lincoln's  goinir  to  set  all  the  niggers  free,  shortly. 
How  would  you  like  that?" 

"Bress  God!  1  likes  dat." 

"But  you  are  free  now,  Mingo." 

"How's  dat,  boss?"  said  the  negro  with  a  perplexed  look, 
"you's  joking,  boss." 

"No  siree.  That's  so.  Don't  you  know  that  as  soon  as  you 
come  into  our  lines  you  are  free?  We  can't  hold  slaves  in  the 
United  States  army.' 

"Fore  God,  den.  boss,  I  neber  goes  back  to  old  pious  Purdy, 
gure,"  exclaimed  Mingo  earnestly.  There  seemed  to  be  a  new 
light  breaking  in  upon  his  mind.  He  grinned  comically  enough, 
yet  there  was  a  good  deal  of  solemnity  in  the  grin,  for  he  seemed 
to  con-sider  it  a  very  precarious  affair,  and  deemed  that  liberty 
was  not  to  be  obtained  without  some  peril.  The  guard  saw  the 
working  of  his  mind,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  not  like  to  work 
for  Lincoln. 

"Yes,  boss."  answered  Mingo  fervently,  "I  works  for  any- 
body what  keeps  Massa  Purdy  away  from  me." 

"Well,"  said  the  guard,  authoritively,  "jump  into  the  ditch 
and  go  to  work,  and  come  around  Saturday  night  and  get  your 
money.  Pious  Purdy  can't  get  you  here." 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  9 

"Does  you  pay  niggas  to  work,  boss?"  asked  Mingo,  with 
some  credulity. 

"Of  course  we  do:  go  to  work." 

Mingo  needed  no  second  invitation.  He  could  scarcely  rea- 
lize the  transmutation  from  slavery  to  freedom;  but  his  bosom 
swelled  with  the  idea,  vague  though  it  was,  of  liberty,  and  he 
sprang  to  the  work  with  an  alacrity  he  had  never  shown  before. 
Saturday  night  camp,  and  he  sought  for  the  guard  who  had 
promised  him  the  pay,  but  not  finding  him,  he  mentioned  the 
case  to  an  officer,  who  laughed  at  him,  and  told  him  niggers  did 
not  need  money.  They  must  first  learn  what  to  do  with  it;  and 
also  added  that  until  then  liberty  ought  to  he  sufficient  pay. 
This  was  somewhat  of  a  disappointment,  but  Mingo  had  treas- 
ured up  the  sweet  word  liberty,  and  valued  it,  as  a  precious 
morsel  under  his  tongue,  and  the  very  word  was  sufficient  to 
cancel,  at  least,  one  week's  labor.  So  he  toiled  on  till  the  canal 
was  finished,  and  all  hands  were  dismissed.  He  then  felt  sure 
of  obtaining  his  pity;  but  he  conld  find  no  one  who  could  tell 
him  where  to  apply.  For  several  days  he  hung  around  the 
camp  with  the  other  contrabands,  hoping  to  obtain,  if  not  pay 
for  the  past,  some  employment  for  the  future,  even  though  he 
should  get  no  other  pay  than  liberty;  but  none  offered  him  eveo 
this. 

At  last  the  negroes  became  quite  troublesome  about  camp, 
and  were  driven  across  the  lines.  There  was  neither  labor  nor 
liberty  for  them  any  longer.  This  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  un- 
lucky Mingo,  for  he  realized  that  he  was  in  imminent  danger  of 
being  captured  by  his  master,  and  asrain  returned  to  that  bond- 
age from  which  he  felt  he  had  so  luckily  escaped.  In  his  wand- 
erings he  again  got  within  the  Union  lines,  and  coming  across  a 
picket,  was  charged  upon  so  furiously  that  he  fled  back  to  camp. 
Here  he  was  met  with  the  kicks,  cuffs  and  jeers  of  the  soldiers, 
till  he  was  glad  to  make  his  escape.  Again  he  encountered  a 
picket,  and  this  time  was  driven  past  the  lines  into  the  territorj 
of  slavery. 

"Fore  God,"  he  exclaimed,  as  the  guard  threatened  to  shoot 
him,  "liberty  no  great  tings  no  how.  De  slabe  gets  much  work 
an'  little  vittels — free  nigga  gets  nothing.  I  knows  what  I  does; 
1  goes  back  to  Massa  Purdy,  and  be  slabe  again.  Massa  Purdy 
gib  um  poor  vittels;  Massa  Linkuni  none.  I's  not  had  nary 
bite  dis  yer  four  days.  Debil  take  Linkum!  I  goes  back  to 
massa." 

Accordingly,  full  of  this  philosophy,  and  empty  of  the  staff  of 
life,  Miniro  reported  to  his  master,  who  ordered  him  some  corn, 
bread  and  fifty  lashes,  and  then  set  him  to  work. 

Piona  Purdy  was  a  vicious  rebel,  and  consequently  a  party 
of  Union  cavalry,  who  happened  that  way,  took  him  prisoner,, 


10  INCIDENTS  0V 

confiscated  his  property,  and  freed  his  slaves.  The  most  of 
them  were  in  ecstacies  over  their  freedom;  but  Mingo  had 
learned  better.  He  feared  the  worst,  and  his  fears  were  not 
groundless — the  worst  came.  After  mature  deliberation  he  de- 
termined to  go  farther  north. 

After  many  days  toilsome  travel,  during  which  he  subsisted 
on  berries,  he  came  to  a  point  on  the  Mississippi,  where  he  dis- 
covered a  company  of  soldiers.  Not  doubting  they  were  Union 
men,  he  at  once  threw  himself  on  their  mercy.  But  it  was  a 
fatal  mistake.  They  were  a  band  of  guerrillas,  who  immediately 
took  possession  of  the  chattel,  and  set  him  to  work  as  cook. 
This  was  a  happy  situation  for  the  starving  Mingo,  for  he  feasted 
luxuriously.  He  was  not  badly  treated,  and  began  to  chuckle 
at  his  good  fortune. 

At  this  time  the  President's  famous  Emancipation  Proclama- 
tion was  issued.  This  caused  some  uneasiness  among  the  guer- 
rillas. They  had  been  traveling  southward,  and  were  now  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Corinth.  There  they  met  a  slave  dealer 
from  Louisiana,  and  Mingo  was  sold,  and  soon  transferred  be- 
yond the  confines  of  liberty,  and  resold  to  a  planter  near  Thiba- 
deaux  This  master  proved  more  cruel,  even,  than  Pious  Purdy, 
and  Mingo  made  up  his  mind  that  neither  slavery  nor  freedom 
was  anything  worth  living  for.  But  the  vagaries  of  Fate  are 
past  finding  out  A  company  of  skirmishers  from  New  Orleans 
came  upon  this  planter,  took  him  prisoner,  captured  his  cotton 
and  negroes,  and  Mingo  was  again  a  freeman  in  the  Crescent 
City. 

During  the  skirmish  at  Thibadeaux,  for  the  slaves  were  com- 
pelled to  fight,  Mingo  received  a  troublesome  wound.  While  in 
New  Orleans  he  chanced  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  good-hearted 
Vcrmonter,  named  Stone,  a  private  in  a  Vermont  retriment,  who 
took  pitv  enough  on  the  poor  contraband  to  minister  somewhat 
to  his  needs,  which  so  attached  him  to  his  benefactor  that  Mingo 
adopted  him  as  his  master,  and  followed  him  through  weal  and 
woe,  whenever  he  was  allowed  to  do  so.  For  sometime,  after 
Mingo  recovered,  he  would  steal  out  from  the  camp  in  the  night 
timo.  and  go  to  his  new  master,  while  he  would  be  on  guard 
duty,  and  amuse  him  with  the  quaint  story  of  his  slave  live;  but 
this  lieinir  discovered,  he  was  forbidden  this  privilege. 

One  day  Stone  was  detailed  as  one  of  a  squad  to  guard  some 
prisoners,  who  had  been  captured.  Mingo,  always  eager  to  fol- 
low hi*  master,  in  spite  of  danger,  got  an  old  musket,  and  fol- 
lowed in  the  rear.  These  prisoners  were  confined  in  an  old, 
isolated  stone  building,  that  had  been  used  as  a  store  house,  and 
it  was  now  truly  full  of  old  barrels  and  other  rubbish,  and 
amontr  this  rubbish  were  secreted  a  lot  of  loaded  muskets,  which 
the  prisoners  finding,  they  concluded  to  fight  their  way  out  to 


SOLDIER  LIME.  JJ 

liberty.     They  were  a  desperate  set  of  fellows,  and  had  been  a 
terror  to  the  loyal  neighborhoods  which  they  had  taken  delight 
to  devastate.     They  expected  death,  and  would  rather  risk  their 
lives  with  the  guard,  who  had  not  a  fourth  their  number,  than 
with  the  more  fearful    military  powers  at  headquarters.      Ac- 
cordingly,   when  night  came  the   prisoners  burst  through  the 
doors  and  windows,  and  rushed,  yelling,  upon  the  guard;    but 
they  were  prepared  for  them,  for  Mingo,  out  of  curiosity  to  hear 
what  the  prisoners  might  have  to  say,  crept  up  to  the  building 
and  hid  himself  in  some  brushes  under  one  of  the  windows,  and 
overhearing  the  plan,  had  informed  his  master.     A  terrible  bat- 
tle ensued,  in  which  the  contraband  engaged  with  as  much  zeal 
as  the  best  of  them.     He  used  his  musket  and  bayonet  to  good 
advantage,  being  careful,  always,  to  make  his  attack  upon  the 
rear  of  any  rebel  that  might  be  turned  towards  him.     Twice^ 
however,  during  the  melee,  he  saved  his  master's  life,  by  throw^- 
ing  himself  before  him.     The  guard  at  last  proved  victorious, 
and,  though  part  of  the  prisoners  escaped,  the  rest  were  secured. 
During  this  action  Stone  showed  such  intrepidity  and  daring, 
that  he  was  promoted,  but  it  did  him  little  good,  as  he  had  re- 
ceived a  wound  which  so  disabled  him  that  he  was  unfit  for 
duty,  and  he  subsequently  received  his  discharge  from  the  ser- 
vice, and  returned   home.     Mingo  could  not  bear  to  leave  his 
master,  and  begged  to  follow  him  to  his  mountain  home.     Stone 
consented,  and  Mingo  is  now  a  free  man  in  the  maple  clad  hills 
of  Vermont.      But   he   sighs  for  his  native  land,  and   begs   his 
Master,  that  when  the  war  is  over,  he  will  take  him  to  work  the 
eotton  and  the  cane,  in  a  climate  that  has  no  ice  and  snow. 


STUMPY,  THE  SCOUT. 

A  soldier  in  the  convalescent  hospital  at  Louisville,  related  to 
the  Surgeon  the  following  bit  of  adventure: 

Just  before  the  battle  of  Corinth,  1  was  detailed  as  one  of  a 
email  scouting  party.  We  brushed  it  about  for  some  hours 
without  seeing  any  thing  worthy  of  note,  and  we  began  to  think 
that  we  should  have  to  venture  farther  into  the  enemy's  lines, 
when,  all  of  a  sudden,  our  ears  were  saluted  with  the  roar  of  a 
score  or  two  of  rebel  carbines.  It^  was  a  company  of  cavalry, 
numbering  six  to  our  one.  One  of  our  party  was  killed  outright, 
which  was  all  the  damage  done,  and  that  counted  a  good  deal 
with  4is,  for  he  was  a  brave  young  follow  from  Indiana,  who  was 
always  in  front  when  there  was  danger  ahead.  Poor  George,  he 
looked  so  brave  and  defiant,  even  as  he  lay  there  dead! 


|2  INCIDENTS  OF 

As  soon  as  the  rebels  discharged  their  pieces  the/  p<n.*.ced 
upon  us  with  their  sabres.  screaming  like  so  many  ilea.u.u,  but 
their  yells  did  not  intimidate  us.  We  were  used  to  such  rebel 
Biusic,  and  we  joined  in  the  chorus,  and  gave  tiiem  back  good 
base  and  treble  for  their  wild  tenor. 

"Now.  boys,"  sung  out  our  Lieutenant,  who  ^as  a  joking  sort 
of  a  fellow,  and  as  brave  as  a  beetle,  "  it  is  *»bout  dinner  time. 
If  you  are  hungry,  just  walk  into  them  butternuts.  Forward  1 
and  crank  awayf  ' 

There  was  no  time  for  further  orders,  r.jr  did  we  need  any. 
The  rebels  were  coining  down  upon  us  like  mad;  but  their  car- 
bines were  empty,  and  ours  were  not  Each  of  us  discharged 
fcis  piece  to  the  best  advantage,  and  I'll  vjnture  to  say  that  more 
than  one  horse  and  rider  parted  company.  Sabres  now  became 
the  order  of  the  fight;  and  a  terrible  \innd  to  hand  fight  it  was, 
too.  Our  Lieutenant  pitched  upon  a  sturdy  looking  rebel,  who 
was  more  than  his  match.  The  conseq  aence  was  that  our  leader 
was  wounded,  and  so  disabled  as  to  he  unable  to  fight  or  give 
Command.  By  this  time  we  were  entirely  surrounded,  and  the 
most  of  us,  I  guess,  began  to  think  'it  was  time,  either  to  surren- 
der or  make  a  break. 

At  this  moment,  as  good  luck  we  uld  have  it,  one  of  the  rebels, 
Coming  up  behind  me.  aimed  a  bliw  at  my  head.  I  saw  it  iu 
season,  and  spurring  my  horse  violently,  he  sprang  forward  just 
in  time  to  save  me;  but  this  forw.trd  movement  brought  his  tail 
out  in  a  straight  line,  and,  unl.mkily  for  the  poor  horse,  the 
eabre  came  down  upon  his  extended  rear  and  cut  it  clean  off 
close  up  to  the  rump.  He  kicked  up  once,  and  then  bounded 
through  the  bristling  sabres  at  .1  terrible  rate,  and  took  a  bee 
line  direct  for  camp,  which  was  v^ry  satisfactory  to  me,  as  1  had 
no  control  of  him. 

This  movement  of  mine,  though  accidental,  seemed  to  be  the 
signal  for  the  rest,  and  they  made  a  like  attempt  to  escape,  but 
Only  one  succeded,  who  followed  close  at  my  heels.  Some  dozen 
Or  so  of  the  rebels  followed  us.  hut  our  horses  were  the  fleetest, 
and  we  trained  on  them.  Before  I  had  gone  two  miles  I  met  a 
large  company  of  our  cavalry,  who,  having  heard  the  firing, 
were  coming  to  our  aid.  I  manaired  to  rein  up  my  horse,  and 
tell  them  the  state  of  affairs,  but  had  no  sooner  done  so  than  the 
eqiiad  of  rebel  horsemen  who  had  been  pursuing  us,  came  sud- 
denly round  a  grove  of  brush,  and,  before  they  were  aware  of 
Our  presence,  plunged  headlong  into  our  midst.  Of  rourse  they 
were  made  prisoners,  every  one  of  them.  I  was  detailed  as  one 
of  the  guard  to  take  charge  of  them,  and  I  had  the  satisfaction 
Of  taking  into  camp  the  very  fellow  who  had  amputated  my 
horse's  tail.  The  rest  of  the  party  then  made  hasty  tracks  for 


SOLDTEB  LIFE.  Jjj 

tborest  of  the  rebel  squad,  which  were  soon  found  and  captured, 
and  the  whole  posse  of  them  were  safe  at  the  rear  of  our  camp. 

The  boys  laughed  at  the  odd  appearance  of  my  horse,  and 
ever  after  called  me  "Stumpy."  1  did  not  feel  very  had  about 
it,  for  it  was  not  the  first  engagement  where  the  rebels  have  cut 
off  our  rear. 

My  horse  was  not  much  injured  by  his  loss,  and  in  a  short 
time  I  was  again  out  scouting.  This  time  1  was  wounded  and 
taken  prisoner,  and  after  lying  in  the  rebel's  starving  camp  fot 
ten  weeks,  during  which  time  I  had  a  turn  of  the  bilious  fever, 
1  was  at  last  exchanged,  and,  although  with  an  unbeaten  wound, 
and  reduced  to  a  mere  shadow,  1  was  marched,  two  hundred 
miles,  into  the  Yankee  nation. 

It  is  a  ticklish  lite  the  scout  leads. 


A  NAMELESS  PASS  AND  A  NAMELESS  GENERAL. 

While  the  Union  troops  were  stationed  at  Nashville,  a  citizea 
called  at  headquarters  for  a  pass.  The  clerk  wrote  it  all  i» 
proper  order,  and  gave  it  to  the  General  for  his  signature.  There 
not  being  a  table  haady,  the  General  placed  the  document  ue 
against  the  whitewashed  wall,  and  wrote  his  name  with  a  pencil. 
The  citizen  left  with  his  pass,  but  was  much  astonished  and  dis- 
mayed when  presenting  it  to  the  picket  post,  to  find  that  his  pass 
had  no  signature.  He  knew  that  he  had  seen  the  General  write 
his  name,  and  he  could  not  imagine  by  what  process  of  magie 
his  signature  had  disappeared;  but  apon  returning  to  head- 
quarters the  mystery  was  solved.  His  chagrin  was  changed  to 
mirth,  for  there,  upon  the  whitewashed  wall,  in  suspiciously 
shaky  looking  letters,  was  the  name  and  title  of  the  signer.  The 
joke  was  obvious.  The  General  had  probably  been  testing  the 
strength  of  a  certain  contraband  article,  and  in  consequence  of 
the  obliquity  of  vision  thereby  occasioned,  had  written  his  namo 
under  the  puss  instead  of  upon  it.  In  consequence  of  its  being 
the  General's  first  offence,  the  name  is  withheld. 

8;vdder  results  than  this  have  resulted  from  a  too  free  use  of 
Contraband  brandy. 

It  may  not  be  that  this  vice  prevails  to  any  great  extent  in  th« 
Union  army,  but  one  can  not  help  thinking  that  more  bullets 
anil  less  brandy  would  be  more  effectual  in  subduing  the  enemy, 
unless  the  fiery  liquid  be  distributed  to  the  latter,  for  the  same 
purpose  as  the  bullets. 


74  INCIDENTS-  or 

EAR-BREADTH  ESCAPES. 

A  German  in  the  35th  Illinois  mot  with  two  very  narrow 
escapes  in  fifteen  minutes,  while  General  Cart's  division  wag 
contending  so  vigorously  against  the  enemy  in  Cross-Timber 
Hollow.  He  wore  ear-rings,  for  the  benefit  of  his  eyes,  and  a 
musket-ball  cut  one  of  them  in  two  (the-  broken  segments  stiTi 
remaining),  and  passed  into  the  shoulder  of  the  Second  Lien- 
tenant  of  the  company. 

'•  Mew  Gott!"  exclaimed  the  brave  Teuton,  fingering  the 
dissevered  ring. 

Ten  minutes  later  there  was  a  lull  in  the  battle  storm,  and  the 
German  was  earnestly  relating  the  story  of  his  escape,  when  a 
wandering  bullet  whistled  by,  carrying  the  other  ring  with  it, 
and  abrading  the  skin  of  bis  ear.  without  doing  further  damage. 

"Gott  sei  dank !"  he  said,  fervently,  "I  got  no  ring  in  my 
eose ! " 

Such  are  the  vagaries  of  fate;  such  the  mysterious  shifting* 
on  the  boisterous  battle-field,  in  the  great  struggle  of  Life  and 
Death  ! 


A,  MISSOURI  JIBBENA1NOSY. 

A  member  of  the  9th  Missouri  discovered  his  brother  horril>Ty 
mangled  and  scalped.  In  his  rage  he  swore  vengeance  against 
the  Indians,  and  for  the  remainder  of  the  day  devoted  his  atten- 
tion entirely  to  them,  concealing  himself  behind  trees  and  fight- 
ing them  in  their  fashion.  He  was  an  excellent  marksman,  and 
if  an  Indian  did  but  show  him  a  square  inch  of  his  red  skin, 
he  was  sure  to  send  a  bullet  through  it.  Whenever  an  Indian 
dropped,  in  answer  to  the  crack  of  the  federal  rifle,  he  would 
shout  with  delirious  joy: 

"  There  goes  another  red-skin  to  h 1.  Hurrah  for  the 

Stars  and  Stripes,  and  d n  all  the  Indians !  " 

Though  ever  following  the  wily  foe,  and  though  fired  upon 
again  and  again,  he  received  not  a  scratch;  and  on  his  return 
to  camp,  after  night-fall,  bore  with  him  nine  scalps  of  aboriginal 
warriors,  slain  by  his  own  hand  to  avenge  his  brother'*  death. 


A  forage  wagon  of  the  36th  Indiana,  containing  only  the  team- 
ster and-  a-  private  of  company  D,  was  attacked  by  a  band  of 
guerrillas.  The  discharge  of  a  score  or  two  of  muskets  tore  th« 


SOLDIKR,  LIFE.  15 

teamster  into  atoms,  and  relieved  him  of  his  command  in  a 
twinkling,  while  his  comrade  did  not  receive  a  scratch.  Three 
of  the  rebels  then  advanced,  on  double  quick,  to  within  twenty 
feet  of  the  Iloosier,  two  of  them  with  double  barreled  shotguns, 
the  other  with  a  rifle,  and,  cowardly  assassins  as  they  were,  fired 
upon  the  lone  Yankee.  But  again  "Fortune  favored  the  brave." 
He  was  still  unharmed,  and  sat  there  eyeing  his  coming  captors 
as  though  he  had  not  been  the  target  upon  which  the  chivalrous 
Southrons  had  been  displaying  their  skill.  The  rebels,  consid- 
ering him  bullet  proof,  refused  to  waste  any  more  ammunition 
upon  him,  and  took  him  prisoner. 

It  is  but  just  to  say  that  the  bullet  proof  Hoosier  was  unarmed, 
or  he  would  have  shown  the  barbarous  rebels  a  different  mark&- 
manghip. 


REBELS  CAUGHT  IN  THEIR  OWN  TRAP. 

The  Sergeant  of  the  picket  guard  being  stationed  near  Pohick 
Church,  had  his  attention  drawn  to  the  tinkling  of  *  cow-bell  in 
the  bushes.  With  visions  of  new  milk  running  through  his' 
head  he  examined  carefully,  and  to  his  intense  astonishment 
found  himself  euchered  of  his  milk  ;  but  he  made  the  discovery 
that,  as  he  advanced,  the  cow-bell  retreated.  The  Sergeant 
smelt  a  moderate  sized  mice,  and  made  a  double-quick  retrograde 
movement.  He  immediately  reported  the  affair  to  Colonel  Hays. 
The  Colonel  secreted  a  squad  of  men  in  the  woods,  and  the 
Sergeant  again  made  himself  conspicuous.  He  brushed  about 
among  the  bushes,  and  the  cow-bell  approached.  The  squad 
eoon  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing — not  the  cow,  but  a  Secesher, 
with  a  cow-bell  hung  to  his  neck,  and  a  six  shooter  in  his  belt 
When  he  got  within  easy  range,  and  in  sight  of  the  squad,  the 
Sergeant  hailed  him: 

"1   say,  old  fellow,  would  you  rather  go  to  h — 1  or  to  Wash- 
ington ?" 

The  squad  at  the  same  time  rushed  forward. 

"To  Washington,   I    reckon,"   drawled    the  rebel,   "I  ain't 
clothed   for  a  warm  climate." 

And  he  accordingly  delivered  himself  up  with  the  best  pos- 
sible grace. 


A  SAD  RESULT  OF  THE  WAR. 

A  Union  man  of  Missouri,  who  had  two  brothers  in  the  rehel 
arniv,  joined  the  Home  fJuard.  and  a  few  days 'after  one  of  his 
brothers  rode  up  anu  found  him  practising  with  his  rifle. 


16  INCIDENTS  or 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  using  your  gun,"  said  the  brother. 
M  You  had  better  join  a  company." 

"  I  have  done  so,"  was  the  calm  reply. 

."Is  that  so?     What  company  is  it? 

"The  Home  Guards." 

"Ah,  that's  what  you're  at  is  it?"  cried  the  brother.  "Well 
here's  something  for  you;"  and  he  immediately  drew  a  navy 
revolver  and  fired.  The  ball  Lidded  in  the  breast  of  the  other, 
who.  s ta^ored  and  fell,  but  getting  upon  his  knees  and  seizing 
his  rifle,  pointed  it  at  his  murderous  brother,  who  turned  and 
fled;  -but  there  sped  a  sure  ball  from  that  trembling  rifle,  and  it 
arrested  the  rebel  brother's  course  forever. 


LAST  WORDS. 

When  General  Reno  was  killed,  General  Stursis  was  within  a 
few  yards  of  him.  He  was  in  command  of  thedivision  formerly 
eoimiianded  by  Reno,  increased  by  several  new  regiments,  and 
the  men  had  just  distinguished  themselves  in  driving  the  rebels 
from  the  summit  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  These  General  were  bosom 
friends;  had  been  classmates  at  West  Point,  and  graduated 
together.  When  Reno  fell.  Sturgis  ran  to  his  assistance,  had 
him  picked  up,  and  said: 

"Jesse,  are  you  badly  hurt?" 

"Yes.  Sam."  he  replied,  "1  am  a  dead  man." 

"  Great  God,  nol"  exclaimed  Sturgis. 

''Yes,  it  is  so,  Sam.  and  you  must  do  double  duty  now." 

General  Sturgis  had  him  placed  upon  a  litter  and  carried  to 
the  rear,  where  he  died  in  an  hour.  His  last  words  before 
leaving  the  battle-field,  were-.  "Boys,  I  can  be  with  you  no 
longer  in  body,  but  i  am  with  you  in  spiru  '' 

Conmral  Mooney,  seeing  that  the  staff  of  the  regimental  flag 
was  shot  away,  picked  up  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  and  wrapping 
them  round  his  body,  rushed  over  the  parapet  of  the  outworks, 
shouting  iileefully:  "Come  on.  me  brave  boys." 

It  was  all  he  said.  The  next  instant  a  shell  struck  him,  and 
the  flag  and  the  Corporal  were  torn  in  pieces. 

A  soldier  fell  mortally  wounded.  Some  of  his  comrades 
wished  to  carry  him  to  the  rear,  but  General  Lew.  Wallace  ri- 
ding by  at  the  moment,  ordered  them  to  desist. 

"  We  can  not  stop  to  attend  to  the  wounded  til!  the  battle  is 
over.  '  said  the  General. 

"You  are  right,"  replied  the  groanhig  soldier;  "the  country 
first.  JJoys  go  to  your  duty. 


SGLDIEtt  LtFK.  17 

These  were  his  last  words.  When  the  General  again  rodo 
that  way,  the  devoted  soldier's  pains  were  over.  He  was  dead. 

The  army  was  retreating  from  Centerville.  The  battle  was 
•fought  against  a  rebel  force  that  had  penetrated  five  miles 
nearer  Washington  than  our  rear,  and  was  moving  to  strike  upon 
the  flank.  General  Stevens'  division,  the  advance  of  Reno's 
corps,  was  on  the  left  of  the  road  taken  by  the  trains,  and  inter- 
cepted by  the  enemy.  He  saw  that  the  rebels  must  be  beaten 
Lack  at  once,  or  during  the  night  they  would  stampede  the  wag- 
ons, and  probably  so  disconcert  our  retreat  that  the  last  divisions 
would  fall  a  prey  to  their  main  force.  He  decided  to  attack 
immediately,  at  the  same  time  sending  back  for  support.  Hav- 
ing made  his  dispositions,  he  led  the  attack  on  foot  at  the  head 
of  the  79th  (Highlanders).  Soon  meeting  a  withering  fire,  and 
the  Color  Sergeant,  Sandy  Campbell,  a  grizzled  old  Scotchman, 
being  wounded,  they  faltered.  One  of  the  color  guard  took  up 
the  flag,  when  the  General  snatched  it  from  him.  The  wounded 
Highlander  at  his  feet,  cried  : 

"For  God's  sake,  General,  don't  you  take  the  colors;  they'll 
shoot  you  if  you  do!  " 

'•Give  me  the  colors! "  demanded  the  officer.  "If  they  don't 
follow  me  now,  they  never  will ;"  and  he  sprang  forward  with 
the  colors  in  his  hand,  crying: 

"We  are  all  Highlanders;  follow  brave  Highlanders ;  forward 
my  Highlanders ! ' 

The  Highlanders  did  follow  their  Scottish  chief,  but  while 
Bweeping  forward  a  ball  struck  him  on  his  right  temple.  He 
died  instantly.  An  hour  afterward,  when  taken  up,  his  hands 
were  still  clenched  around  the  flag-staff. 

Thus  ended  the  brave  career  of  the  brave  Stevens.  He  had  oftea 
remarked  that  if  it  were  his  fate  to  fall  in  battle,  he  hoped  he 
should  be  shot  through  the  temple  and  die  instantly. 

The  day  after  the  battle  of  Donelson,  some  of  the  rebel  pris- 
oners were  permitted  to  go  in  search  of  their  wounded.  While 
these  prisoners  were  wandering  through  the  woods,  they  came 
upon  the  body  of  a  dead  soldier.  One  of  the  rebels  gave  it  a 
kick,  at  the  same  time  saying  : 

"Take  that,  you  yellow-bellied  son  of  a ." 

"And  that,"  said  another  voice  near  by;  and  a  third  voice, 
also,  uttered  its  quick,  sharp,  crack,  and  the  impious  rebel 
dropped  dead  with  a  bullet  in  his  heart,  and  the  filthy  word  still 
groaning  on  his  lips.  The  Union  soldier  who  accompanied  him 
thus  avenged  the  insulted  dead. 

The  rebel  General  Ben.  McCulloch  was  struck  with  a  minie  rifle- 
ball  in  the  left  breast,  while  waving  his  sword  and  encouraging 
2 


18  INCIDENTS  Of 

his  men  to  stand  firm.  He  died  of  his  wounds  about  11  o'clock 
the  same  night,  though  he  insisted  that  he  would  recover;  re- 
peatedly saying  with  great  oaths  that  he  was  not  born  to  b>8 
killed  by  a  d— d  Yankee. 

A  few  minutes  before  he  expired  his  physician  assured  him 
he  had  but  a  very  brief  time  to  live.  At  this  Ben.  looked  up 
incredulously,  and  saying,  "Oh,  Hell!  "  turned  away  his  head, 
and  never  spoke  after. 


A  REBEL  SURGEON  AND   HIS   SPUNKY   UNION    PATIENT. 

At  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Henry,  a  young  Wisconsin  boy, 
in  his  eagerness  to  "get  a  pop  at  a  rebel,"  got  detached  from 
his  company,  and  took  a  zigzag  way  towards  the  biggest  crowd, 
firing  as  he  went,  and  dodging,  here  and  there,  behind  the  cir- 
cumstantial breastworks.  Presently  he  found  himself  sur- 
rounded, and  he  had  the  honor  of  being  made  a  prisoner  of  war. 
Not  long  after  he  had.  his  arm  shattered  by  a  ball  from  one  of 
the  Union  gunboats.  He  was  taken  to  a  tent,  and  the  Surgeon 
commenced  the  work  of  amputation.  He  had  just  bared  tho 
bone,  when  a  shell  came  crashing  through  the  tent.  The  boy 
did  not  seem  to  pay  much  attention  to  the  sawing  of  the"bone, 
but  coolly  remarked : 

"Them  shells  are  staving  things — don't  they  make  you  rebels 
get,  though?" 

Presently  another  shell  shrieked  and  fell  close  by  them. 

"It  is  getting  most  too  hot  here  for  us,  my  boy,"  said  tho 
Burgeon.  "I'll  take  you  to  a  safer  place." 

"Too  hot  is  it?"  said  the  mangled  boy.  "  Well,  I  guess  it  will 
be  a  good  deal  hotter  for  you  by  and  by." 

The  Surgeon  told  the  story  with  some  pleasure,  and  remarked : 

"  He  was  the  bravest  little  fellow  I  ever  saw.  I  should  like  to 
meet  with  him  again." 


SHARP  SHOOTING  DUEL. 

A  rebel  lieutenant  was  stationed  in  a  rifle  pit,  and  about  fifty 
yards  from  him  was  a  Berge  sharp-shooter,  well  fortified  by  a 
Iiuge  tree.  The  Lieutenant  could  not  lift  a  finger  but  the  Bergo 
gave  him  a  pop.  He  had  thus  been'  the  target  for  some  time, 
when  getting  out  of  patience,  he  poked  his  head  above  the  breast- 
works and  shouted : 

"Come  out  from  behind  that  tree,  you  skulking  Yankee." 


•SOMMES  LIFE.  ft 

*:  Come  out  from  behind  that  breast  work,  you  cowardly  rebel, 
and  see  how  you  like  it,"  was  the  prompt  rejoinder. 

The  Lieutenant  seized  a  musket,  and  springing  over  the 
works,  sung  out : 

"Now,  come  on,  you  Nigger-stealer." 

"Here's  at  you,  you  thieving  Butternut,"  returned  the  Berge, 
stepping  squarely  from  behind  the  tree,  and  in  this  position  each 
took  three  fair  shots  at  the  other.  Berge's  third  shot  just  lifted 
the  hair  from  the  other's  «ar. 

"Go  back  to  your  tre«,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 

"Go  back  to  your  hole,"  returned  the  Berge,  and  both  returned 
to  their  places  of  concealment. 

Each,  during  the  duel,  was  so  eager  to  kill  the  other  first,  that 
both  fired  with  bad  aim.  The  Lieutenant  was  afterwards  taken 
prisoner. 


THE  ESCAPE  OF  FLOYD  AND  PILLOW. 

The  official  Rebel  report  of  the  decamping  of  Floyd  and  Pil- 
low, and  of  the  manner  of  the  surrender  of  Fort  Donelson,  is 
as  follows: 

General  Pillow  urged  the  necessity  of  cutting  their  way  out, 
or  making  another  day's  fight. 

""From  the  worn  out  condition  of  my  men, '  replied  Buckner, 
"and  the  enemy's  rifle  pits  on  the  right,  I  cannot  hold  my  posi- 
tion for  half  an  hour,  if  we  should  be  attacked  at  daylight, 
which  will  certainly  be  the  case." 

"  Why  can't  you  ?  I  think  you  can  sir,"  said  Pillow.  "I 
think,  Sir,  we  ought  to  cut  our  way  through  at  all  hazards." 

"1  know  my  position,"  retorted  Buckner.  "I  can  only  bring 
to  bear  against  the  enemy  four  thousand  men,  while  he  can 
oppose  me  with  any  given  number." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  said  Pillow,  "  I  am  in  favor  of  fighting  it 
out.  What  will  you  do  ?" 

"V7hat  do  you  say,  General  Buekner?"  asked  Floyd. 

"Just  this:  that  to  attempt  to  cut  our  way  through  the  enemy's 
lines,  with  such  devils  to  fight  with,  will  cost  a  sacrifice  of  three- 
fourths  of  the  command,  and  no  General  has  a  right  to  make 
such  a  sacrifice  to  secure  his  own  safety." 

"  I  agree  with  the  General  on  that  point,"  said  Floyd. 

"Well,"  said  Pillow,  ''there  is  but  one  alternative  left,  and 
that  is  capitulation.  I  shall  neither  surrender  the  command 
nor  myself;  I  will  die  first." 

"Neither  will  I  surrender,"  retutncd  Floyd.     "  You  know  my 


20  INCIDENTS  OF 

relations  with  the  Federal  Government,  and  it  would  not  do. 
Their  book  of  reckoning  is  already  frightfully  full." 

"No  personal  feeling  ought  to  control  official  action,"  said 
Buckner. 

"I  admit  it,"  said  Floyd.    "Still  my  determination  is  fixed." 

"The  surrender  will  then  devolve  upon  me,"  said  Buckner. 

"General  Buckner,"  said  Floyd,  "if  you  are  put  in  command, 
will  you  allow  me  to  take  out  my  brigade  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Buckner,  "if  you  move  your  command  before 
I  send  my  offer  of  capitulation  to  the  enemy." 

"Then,"  said  Floyd,  "I  surrender  the  command." 

This  declaration  left  the  command  upon  General  Buckner,  and 
he  replied : 

"I  will  accept  it,  and  will  share  the  fate  of  my  command," 
»nd  he  at  once  called  for  pen,  ink  and  paper,  and  a  bugler  to 
sound  a  parley,  it  being  too  dark  to  send  a  flag  of  truce. 

General  Pillow  then  asked  if  it  would  be  proper  for  him  to 
make  his  escape.  To  which  Floyd  replied,  that  was  a  question 
for  every  man  to  decide  for  himself;  but  that  he  would  be  glad 
for  every  man  to  make  his  escape  that  could. 

Colonel  Forrest  then  desired  to  take  out  his  command,  which 
was  granted. 

"Now,"  said  Forrest,  "what  shall  I  do?1 

"Cut  your  way  out,"  said  Pillow. 

"I  will,  General,  by ,"  said  Forrest. 

Among  all  the  boasted  chivalry  massed  at  Fort  Donelson, 
General  Buckner  was  the  only  one  who  could  stand  the  test  of 
honor.  True  to  his  word,  he  followed  his  command  and  made 
himself  a  prisoner;  while  the  officer  in  command,  Floyd,  to  use 
his  own  words,  sought  "to "make  an  effort  for  my  own  extrica- 
tion by  any  and  every  means  that  might  present  themselves  to  me." 


CAPTURE  OF  A  FULL  BLOOD. 

During  the  grand  retreat  of  the  enemy  across  Roanoke  Island, 
Captain  Bradford,  of  a  Massachusetts  regiment,  saw  a  man 
spring  from  a  clump  of  bushes  and  run  like  a  deer  across  an 
open  space. 

The  Captain  several  times  called  to  him  to  stop,  but  finding 
he  was  about  to  lose  his  game,  ordered  his  men  to  fire.  The 
rebel  heard  the  order  and  immediately  whirled  around,  and 
holding  up  both  hands,  cried; 

"Don't  shoot;  please  don't  shoot!" 

The  order  was  countermanded,  and  the  man  tremblingly  ad 
ranced  and  surrendered  himself.  He  was  a  Quartermaster, 


SCfLDIER,  LITE. 


21 


Not  long  afterwards,  fifteen  or  twenty  prisoners  were  drawn 
up  around  a  good  fire,  and  the  "Special  Artist"  began  making 
a  sketch.  This  roused  the  chivalric  pride  of  the  rebel  Quarter- 
master, who  had  by  this  time  got  over  his  fright,  and  approach- 
ing the'artist,  he  said : 

"I  suppose  you're  some  Yankee  newspaper  man  aud  1  want 
you  to  remember  that,  though  I  ain't  as  good  looking  as  some  o' 
the  rest  in  this  crowd,  I've  got  jest  the  same  kind  o'  Southern 
blood  in  my  veins." 

Somebody  present  remarked  :  "  Perhaps  that  was  the  reason 
you  whined  so  dolefully  over  in  the  field,  yonder.  You  were 
afraid  you'd  lose  some  of  that  precious  blood." 


A  SMART  CHANCE, 

When  Commodore  Goldsborough  arrived  at  Croaton  Sound,  a, 
fellow  was  presented  to  him  who  was  recommended  for  a  pilot, 
when  the  following  conversation  ensued : 

Commodore. — "  Well,  sir,  they  say  you  know  something  about 
this  Sound." 

Pilot. — "Well,  yes,  mebbe  four  or  five  years  ago  I  had  a  smart 
knowledge  of  that  strip  of  water,  Sir." 

Com. — " How  much  water  is  there  on  this  shoal?'1  (pointing 
to  the  chart.) 

Pil. — "Well,  I  reckon  there's  a  right  smart  chance  of  water 
there  Sir." 

Com. — "Did  you  pilot  boats  up  and  down  the  Sound?" 

Pil. — "Well,  yes;  I  reckon  I've  driv  a  few  flat  boats  up  thar. 
Sir." 

Com. — "  Ca,n  you  give  us  any  assistance  by  pointing  out  the 
safest  way  to  get  up  there?" 

Pil. — "  Well,  I  reckon  I  could  help  you  a  right  smart  chance." 

Com. — "  Well  then  we  want  you. 

Pil. — "But,  your  honor,  I  rather  would'nt,  Sir," 

Com. — "What!  don't  you  want  to  serye  your  country?" 

Pil. — "Well,  yes,  but  the  old  woman  and  young  'uns  has  got 
powerful  little  to  live  on,  Sir." 

Com. — "But  we  will  pay  you  good  wages." 

Pil. — "  And  I  hav'nt  anything  but  these  yeller  old  sou'  westers, 
Sir." 

Com. — "We'll  give  you  good  clothes." 

PH.—"  B-b-but— " 

Com.—" But  what,- Sir?" 

Pil. — "  Well,  you  see,  your  honor,  you  see  that  mebbe  ef  you 


22  ESJIDENTS  Qf 

should' nt  get  up  tbar,  them-ar  secessioners  would  use  me  pow- 
erful bad,  Sir." 

This  devoted  Union  man  was  dismissed,  with  orders  to  hold 
himself  in  readiness-  to  lend  a  "right  smart  chance"  of  his  aid  to 
the  expedition. 


TERRIBLE  DEVOTION. 

The  sinking  of  the  Cumberland  was  one  of  the  most  terriTjfe 
catastrophes  of  the  war,  and  no  instance  shows  a  more  desper- 
ate and  devoted  spirit  than  was  shown  by  her  brave  crew.  They 
behaved  with  remarkable  and  stoical  courage,  continuing  to 
work  every  gun  above  the  water  line  to  the  last  moment^  and 
ene  of  her  guns  Avas  actually  discharged  at  the  enemy  as  site 
was  going  down.  There  was  no  effort  to  escape,  no  rush  to  the 
boats,  not  a  sign  of  surrender,  and  every  one  of  the  three  hun- 
dred brave  sailors  was  beried  beneath  the  water. 

The  terrible  devotion  of  the  crew  of  this  ill-fated'  ship  la 
unparalleled  irr'the  annals  of  warfare. 

As  the  ship  w^8  sinking,  two  gunners  clasped  their  guns  in 
their  arms  and  woald  not  be  removed.  They  went  down  em- 
bracing them. 

One  gunner  had  both  his  legs  shot  away.  Another  shot  had 
torn  him  badly  in  the  abdomen,  and  so,  with  his  bowels  protru- 
ding, he  made  three  steps  on  his  raw  and  bloody  thighs,  seized 
the  lanyard  and  fired  his  gun,  falling  back  dead. 

Another  lost  both  arms  and  legs,  yet  lived,  and  when  they 
would  assist  him,  cried  on* : 

"Back  to  your  gun,  boys!  Give  'era  hell!  Hurrah  for  the 
Flag ! " 

When  asked  to  surrender  the  Cumberland,  Lieutenant  Morris 
replied: 

"Never!  I  will  not  strike  my  flag."  Then,  turning  to  his 
men,  he  asked  :  "Would  you  do  it?" 

"No!"  was  the  firm  reply  of  all,  and  they  did  not  doit. 
When  the  ship  was  sinking  the  old  flag  still  waved  above  her. 


APPLE  BRANDY. 

When  the  Union  soldiers  entered  the  rebel  fortifications  at 
Mill  Spring,  one  of  them  discovered  a  barrel  which  proved  to 
contain  apple  brandy.  Pulling  out  the  corn  cob  from,  the  bung  * 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  28 

hole,  he  turned  it  up  and  filled  his  canteen.  While  d>ing  this 
one  of  Bob  McCojk  s  skirmishers  came  in  and  said: 

"Vat  you  gets  dere?" 

The  soldier  replied  that  it  appeared  to  be  pretty  fair  apple 
brandy;  upon  which  the  Dutchman  ran  to  the  door,  calling  out 
furiously : 

"  Hans !  Heinirch !  Schnapps !     See  here ! " 

Then  rushed  in  a  squad  of  his  comrades,  and  the  brandy  was 
transferred  to  their  canteens  in  a  twinkling.  The  soldier  was 
fond  of  a  joke,  and  remarked  seriously:  N 

"Boys,  this  is  a  doctor's  shop,  and  there  might  be  strychnine 
in  that  brandy." 

The  thirsty  Tuetons  paused  a  moment,  when  one  of  them  ex- 
claimed: 

"Py  G — t!  Hans,  I  tells  you  vat  I  does;  I  trinks  some,  and 
if  it  don't  kills  me,  den  you  trinks  mitout  no  danger." 

He  then  took  a  long  pull  at  his  canteen,  smacked  his  lips,  and 
said: 

"All'right,  boys,  go  ahead." 


THE   TABLES  TURNED. 

When  Fort  Sumter  surrendered,  the  following  lines  appeared 
in  some  of  the  Southern  papers  : 

"  With  mortar,  Paixlian  and  petard, 
We  tender  to  Old  Abe  our  Bcaurogfird." 

Things  having  changed  somewhat,  and  the  rebels  catching  it 
front  and  rear,  causing  them  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  our 
Western  friends  now  return  the  rebel's  poetic  courtesies  in  this 
wise: 

"  With  the  rebels  all  routed  and  flying  with  fear, 
We  tender  Jeff.  Davis  our  Foote  in  his  rear." 


KEEN  PICKETS. 

A  soldier  from  Maine  being  on  picket  duty,  was  fired  upon  by 
one  of  the  rebel  pickets,  from  Georgia,  the  ball  whizzing  close  to 
liia  ear.  Upon  this  the  Yankee  sheltered  himself  behind  a  tree 
and  began  to  look  about  for  the  concealed  foe.  Presently  a  little 
puff  of  smoke  revealed  the  spot,  and  another  ball  paid  its  re- 
spects to  his  hair. 

;1  Hello !  "  said  Maine,  "what  are  you  trying  to  make  ?" 
••  Trying  to  wing  a  nigger  stealer,"  said  Georgia. 


24  INCIDENTS  OF 

"Sho  !"  responded  Maine,  "I'm  glad  you  told  me.  I  should' nt 
have  guessed  it  from  your  shootin'.  Who  made  yoi-.r  old  musket?" 

"The  London  Times;  who  made  your'n?"  says  Georgia,  jump- 
ing behind  his  tree,  while  the  Yankee's  bullet  sprinkled  the 
bark  in  his  face. 

"Horace  Greeley,"  said  Maine.      "Where's  Jackson  ?" 

"Behind  the  wall,"  replied  Georgia,  at  the  same  time  barking 
the  Yankee's  tree.  "What's  McClellan  doing?' 

"Reviewing  the  grand  army." 

*'Got  any  whisky  ?"  says  Georgia. 

"Only  gunpowder,  which  you're  welcome  to,"  replied  Maine, 
at  the  same  time  giving  the  rebel  another  pop. 

"I  say,"  says  Georgia,  "step  out  and  give  us  a  show." 

The  Yankee  pokes  out  his  head,  and  the  rebel  cracks  away 
and  misses. 

"Too  high,  old  feller.    Now  let  me  have  a  pop,"  said  Maine. 

Georgia  pokes  out  his  head  and  the  ball  passes  between  his 
ehin  and  shoulder. 

"Too  low!"  shouts  the  rebel.  "Let's  quit  a  while  and  go 
home  and  practice." 

"  Quit  it  is,"  said  Maine.    'Spose  we  adjourn  for  rations." 

"Agreed,"  says  the  other. 

And  the  two  marched  away,  one  whistling  Dixie  and  the 
other  Yankee  Doodle. 


REBELLION  FINANCED  DOWN. 

Poor  Beauregard  for  three  month's  soldiers  prays, 
For  which  he  bounty  promises  and  thanks, 

But  Louisiana  drafts  at  ninety  days, 

Can't  meet  the  checks  on  Mississippi  banks. 


CONTRABAND  PHILOSOPHY. 

An  elderly  darkey,  with  a  very  philosophical  and  retrospeo 
live  cast  of  countenance,  was  squatting  upon  his  bundle  on  tho 
hurricane  deck,  toasting  his  shins  against  the  chimney,  and  ap- 
parently plunged  into  a  state  of  profound  meditation.  He  had 
been  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson,  and  I  began  to  interrogate 
him  upon  the  subject.  His  philosophy  was  so  much  in  the  Fal- 
staffian  vein  that  I  will  give  his  views  in  his  own  words,  as  near 
as  my  memory  serves  me. 

"Were  you  in  the  fight?" 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  25 

"Had  a  little  taste  of  ifc,  sa." 

"Stood  your  ground,  did  you?" 

"No,  sa,  I  runs." 

"Run  at  the  first  fire,  did  you?" 

"Yes,  sa,  and  would  hab  run  soona,  hab  I  knowd  it  was  com- 
ing." ^ 

"  Why.  that  wasn't  very  creditable  to  your  courage." 

"Dat  isn't  in  my  line,  sa — cookin's  iny  perfession." 

"Well,  but  have  you  no  regard  for  your  reputation?" 

"Reputation's  nuffin  to  me  by  de  side  ob  life." 

"Do  you  consider  your  life  worth  more  than  other  people's?" 

"It's  worth  more  to  me,  sa." 

"Then  you  must  value  it  very  highly." 

"  Yes,  sa,  I  does — more  dan  all  dis  world — more  dan  a  million 
of  dollars,  sa,  for  what  would  dat  be  wuth  to  a  man  wid  de  bref 
out  of  him?  Self-preserbashun  am  de  fust  law  wid  me,  sa." 

"But  why  should  you  act  upon  a  different  rule  from  other 
men?" 

"'Cause,  sa,  different  men  sets  different  value  upon  darselves. 
My  life  is  not  in  de  market." 

"But  if  you  lost  it,  you  would  have  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  you  died  for  your  country." 

"What  satisfaction  would  dat  be  to  me,  when  de  power  ob 
feelin'  was  gone?" 

"Then  patriotism  and  honor  are  nothing  to  you!  " 

"Nuffin  whatever,  sa — 1  regard  dem  as  among  de  vanities." 

"If  our  soldiers  were  like  you,  traitors  might  have  broken  up 
the  Government  without  resistance." 

"Yes,  sa,  dar  would  hab  been  no  help  for  it.  I  wouldn't  put 
my  life  in  de  scale  'ginst  any  gobernment  dat  eber  existed,  for 
no  gobernment  could  replace  de  loss  to  me.  'Spect,  dough,  dat 
de  gobernment  safe  if  day  all  like  me." 

"  Do  you  think  any  of  your  company  would  have  missed  you 
if  you  had  been  killed?" 

"May  be  not,  sa.  A  dead  white  man  ain't  much  to  dese  so- 
gers,  let  alone  a  dead  nigga,  but  I'd  a  missed  myself,  and  dat 
was  de  pint  wid  me." 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  dusky  corpse  of  that  African  will 
never  darken  the  field  of  carnage. 


THE  CORPORAL'S  CONTRABAND  TURKEY. 

The  soldier  has  a  tedious  time  in  wearing  out  the  monotony 
of  camp  life,  especially  when  the  rations  get  low,  or  are  of  a 
quality  that  is  not  much  better  than  it  should  be.  But  several 


26-  INCIDENTS  OF 

thousand  men,  huddled  together  for  many  idle  months,  must 
needs  have  some  fun ;  they  will  have  it,  too,  and  if  it  partakes 
of  utility,  so  much  the  better.  Fun  and  food  they  must  have, 
and  with  three-fourths  of  their  time  to  themselves,  it  would  be  a 
•wonder  if  they  did  not  concoct  some  plan  that  would  bring  them 
both.  • 

When  Buell's  army  was  camping  in  Kentucky,  one  of  the 
boys  came  across  a  secesh  barn,  which  appeared  to  be  the  head- 
quarters of  a  squad  of  rebel  turkies.  He  accordingly  reported 
to  ''Corporal  Ben,"  who  was  generally  the  officer  in  command 
*>n  such  occasions. 

"Good!"  said  Ben.  "Them  fellers  are  contraband,  and  wo 
must  make  a  reconnoissance  in  force,  take  a  few  prisoners  and 
replenish  our  mess.  Whose  are  they?" 

"They  belong  to  old  Grudge-,  over  there,"  replied  Sam.  "  W« 
shall  have  to  be  sly  about  it,  for  he's  a  mean  old  cuss,  and 
would'nt  let  a  fellow  pick  the  bone  of  one  o'  them  if  be  could 
help  it.  He's  always  on  the  watch." 

"We'll  try  it,"  said  Ben.     "I'll  get  Duke  to  go  along. 

Accordingly  when  night  came,  the  Corporal  led  his  force  be- 
fore the  aforesaid  barn  and  demanded  a  surrender.  Silence,  of 
course,  gave  consent,  and  the  Corporal  and  his  company  pro- 
ceeded to  take  charge  of  the  prisoners,  while  Duke  was  detailed 
to  act  as  guard,  and  watch  for  the  appearance  of  old  Grudge. 

Ben  climbed  up  on  the  high  beams  and  began  to  pass  dowai 
the  astonished  turkies  to  Sam,  who  stood  ready  below  to  receive 
them.     JBen  had  just  handed  down  a  worthy  gobbler,  when  the 
proceedings  were  suspended  by  the  hoarse  baying  of  a  sturdy 
bull  dog,  who  came  tearing  down  the  lane. 

"A  dog!"  cried  the  guard,  in  a  very  loud  whisper. 

"The  dog,  Ben,"  repeated  Sam. 

"Shoot  him,  Duke,    commanded  Ben. 

"Nary  shoot,"  said  Duke.  "It'll  rout  old  Grudge.  I  must 
change  my  base  of  operations."  And  the  guard  stepped  round 
the  barn  and  climbed  an  apple  tree.  Sam,  also  looked  this  way 
and  that  way  for  a  place  of  safety.  But  what  is  done  must  be 
done  quickly,  for  the  dog  is  already  pouring  his  volleys  rf  bark 
in  at  the  very  door.  At  this  juncture  Sam  discovered  the  meal 
bin.  In  a  twinkling  he  raised  the  lid  and  plunged  himself  head 
and  ears  in  the  yielding  meal. 

In  the  meantime  the  dog  came  in,  and  spying  Bon  perched 
upon  the  beam  with  the  turkies,  set  up  a  renewed  yelling.  This 
condition  of  things  could  not  long  be  endured.  The  repeated 
calls  of  the  dog  had  routed  the  master,  whose  heavy  foot-steps 
were  already  heard,  plodding  down  the  path.  Sain  raised  the 
1H  of  his  truard  house  and  sung  out  i 

"Hello I  Beu!" 


SOLDIER   LIFBT.  27 

"Hello,  yon/serf;  what's  the  matter?" 

"I'm  in  a  predicament." 

"It's  a  good  thing,  or  the  dog  might  eat  you." 

"What's  to  be  done?" 

"Keep  dark,  old  Grudge  is  coming." 

"How  can  I  keep  dark  when  I'm  all  white?  I'm  neck  and 
heels  in  the  meal  tub.  Shoot  that  beggarly  dog,  and  let's  get  out 
of  this." 

"I  darsn't,"  says  Ben,  "the  old  man  is  right  here  and  I  must 
Bave  it  for  him." 

"OLord!"  exclaimed  Sam,  and  down  vrcnt  the  lid,  just  as 
the  light  of  a  lantern  relieved  the  darkness  of  the  barn,  and  re- 
vealed the  plethoric-  foriii  of  aid-  Grudge,  with  his  musket.  His 
wife  was  close  at  his  heels.  The  dog's  nose  pointed  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Corporal,  who  was  sitting,  demurely,  up  among  the 
turkies. 

"What  are  you  doing  up  there,  you-  thieving  Yankee,"  said 
Grudge,  savagely. 

"Roosting,  you  blu-bberly  old  Butternut. 

"-Benighted,  cold,  -and  drenched  with  rain, 
I  sought  this  shelter," — 

•Up  among  the  turkfes.     What  do  you  want?" 

"Comedown!"  demanded  the  old  man,  at  the  same  time 
pointing  the  ominous  looking  musket  at  the  corporal. 

"I  should  think  you  might  let  a  fellow  rest,"  said  Ben. 

aThe  nasty,,  thieving  Yankee!"  exclaimed  the  old  woman, 
"to  go  fer  to  steal  our  turkies;  better  shoot  him  at  once,  and 
it'll  be  a  warnin'  to  the  rest  o'  them  fellers." 

"Quit,  cfirit,"  peeped-  a  turkey. 

"I  second  that  motion,"  said  Ben.  "•[  s:iy  quit,  and  don't 
point  that  old  musket  up  here  ;  it  might  go  off  and  hurt  some  of 
the  turkies." 

Click,  went  the  trigger,  which  was  followed  by  another  orde* 
more  peremptory  than  the  first. 

"Hold  on,  old  Butternut,"  said  Ben,  boldly,  "you'd  better  not 
shoot  that.  Don't  you  know  that  I've  got  a  squad  of  men  at  the 
end  of  the  barn?  The'll  eat  you  up  in  two  minutes.  They're 
all-fired  hungry." 

At  this  juncture  Sam  carefully  laised  the  lid  of  his  bos  and 
crept  out.  He  was  white  with  meal  from  had  to  foot,  and  looked 
exceedingly  like  a  ghost.  This  suggested  the  idea  to  Ben,  a-nd 
he  continued,  addressing  old  Grudge: 

"Besides  I'm  one  of  them,  abolition  Yankees  that  has  tho 
power  of  raising  the  devil,  and  I'll  do  it  in  a  minute,  too,  if  you 
don't  put  that  gun  out  of  the  way." 

Sam  took  the  hint,  and  placing  the  turkey  astride  of  his  neck, 
and  grasping  a  leg  in  oach  hand,  with  a  slow  and  measured  step. 


28  raciDEXTS  or 

and  a  sepulchral  groan,  he  stalked  up  towards  the  old  folks  wilh 
the  turkey's  wings  flapping  furiously  upon  his  shoulders.  At 
this  moment  the  guard,  who  was  ki  the  apple  tree  and  hoard  the 
conversation,  fired  three  of  his  five  shots  in  quick  succession. 
Ben  added  another  to  the  list,  which  happily  passed  through  the 
dog's  heart. 

"  O,  Lord ! '  shrieked  the  ol<l  woman,  "  thar's  that  thar  ghost  I " 
"The  devil!"  cried  the  old  man,  and  nervously  discharged  his 
piece.  The  ball  took  effect  on  Sam's  turkey,  knocking  it  from 
his  shoulders  and  flooding  his  face  with  blood,  which  trickled 
down  his  bosom,  making  little  rills  in  the  meal.  The  old 
man  supposing  he  had  shot  the  devil's  head  clean  away,  was  «o 
astonished,  vhea  Sam  commenced  singing: 

"The  devil  he  came  to  the  farmer's  one  day." 

that  ho  turned  and  followed  in  the  wake  of  his  old  woman,  who 
was  screaming  her  way  up  towards  the  house.  The  boys  took 
a  turkey  in  each  hand,  and  with  one  accord  hurried  away,  and 
soon  arrived  safely  in  camp  with  their  booty. 

The  next  day  old  Grudge  came  into  camp  to  see  about  his  tur- 
kies.  Ben  spied  him,  and  sideling  up  to  him,  whispered: 

"Look  here,  old  fellow,  if  you  don't  get  out  of  this  I'll  have 
the  devil  after  you  again !  " 

The  old  man  concluded  to  take  the  turkey's  advice,  and  quit 


ADVENTURES  OF  A  DRUMMER  BOY. 

There  was  a  drummer  boy  in  one  of  the  Ohio  regiments,  who 
had  a  most  remarkable  faculty  of  getting  into  scrapes,  and  the 
most  surprising  luck  in  getting  out  of  them.  On  the  day  of  the 
fight  Charlie  concluded  to  go  out  and  take  a  brush  with  the 
whole  rebel  army,  on  his  own  hook.  He  persuaded  another 
drummer  to  go  with  him  and  share  the  glory.  So  with  his 
usual  strategic  brilliancy,  Charlie  posted  himself  between  his 
own  and  a  rebel  regiment,  and  had  quite  a  lively  time  in 
"  changing  front,"  as  the  storm  of  bullets  came  from  one  side 
and  the  other.  It  was  a  perilous  position ;  but  they  braced  up 
each  other's  courage  with  repeated  laughing,  and  it  was  amusing 
to  observe  the  droll  manner  in  which  he  described  that  "  sickly 
sort  of  laugh." 

The  fight  was  over,  and  Charlie  and  his  companion  in  arms 
escaped  unhurt,  and  concluded  to  go  back  to  camp  and  see  about 
their  traps,  but  before  they  reached  camp  Charlie  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  brought  before  a  rebel  lieutenant,  who  catechised 
him  in  the  following  manner : 


SOLDIER 

"  Well,  yon  d — d  little  Yankee  cuss,  what  in  the  h — 1  are  you 
doing  hero  ?" 

"I  want  my  knapsack,"  coolly  answered  Charlie. 

"How  many  of  you  d — d  Yankees  are  thereover  there  ?"  said 
,the  Lieutenant  savagely. 

"I  don't  know,  I  did'nt  count  'ein.  I  guess  I  want  my  knap- 
sack," replied  Charlie,  demurely. 

"  But  you  can  guess,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 

"  I  don't  know  how  many  you  fellers  killed.  Did  you  kill 
any?" 

"  I  should  reckon  we  did.  Bot  tell  me  how  many  you  had 
before  the  fight" 

"Well,  about  ten  or  twelve  thousand,"  replied  Charlie,  care- 
lessly. 

"  Don't  lie  to  me,  you  little  rascal;"  said  the  officer  savagely, 
at  the  same  time  drawing  a  revolver,  "or  I'll  shoot  you  in  a 
minute  !  Now  tell  me  the  truth,  you  little  Yankee  pup  ! " 

"I  don  t  know,"  said  Charlie,  and  then,  after  a  pause,  during 
which  he  seemed  to  be  summing  up,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
the  officer,  he  asked  : 

"How  many  men  have  you  got?" 

The  rebel  looked  at  him  a  moment  as  if  endeavoring  to  make 
out  the  character  of  the  boy,  when  feeling  that  this  was  too 
much  for  his  chivalrous  nature  to  bear,  he  faced  Charlie  about, 
gave  him  a  tremendous  kick  in  the  rear,  and  said : 

"Git!  you  little  devil." 

Charlie  obeyed  the  order,  and  without  further  trouble  got 
safely  feack  to  camp. 


GENERAL  ROUSSEAU  AND  THE  REBELS. 

A  Southern  gentleman  came  to  General  Rousseau,  and  re- 
quested permission  to  go  beyond  the  Federal  lines  and  visit  hia 
wife.  He  declared  that  he  had  never  taken  up  arms  against  the 
Union,  but  he  had  aided  and  abetted  those  who  had,  and  admit- 
ted that  he  was  still  a  Secessionist. 

"  You  can't  go  I "  said  the  General. 

"  It  seems  very  hard,"  replied  Secesh,  "that  I  can't  go  to  see 
my  wife." 

No  harder  for  you  than  it  is  for  me,"  returned  the  General. 
"1  want  to  see  my  wife.  You  have  compelled  me  to  leave  her 
by  your  infernal  treason.  You  surely  don't  expect  me  to  grant 
you  a  favor  which  your  rebellious  conduct  prevents  me  from 
enjoying." 

"'We'll,  but,  General—" 

' 


3$  INCIDENTS  OT 

"  It  is  useless  to  talk,  sir.  If  you  will  go  to  work  and  assist 
me  to  return  to  my  wife,  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  enable  you  to 
return  to  yours." 

""What  do  you  wish  me  to  do,  General?" 

"  I  wish  you  to  return  to  your  allegiance,  and,  as  far  as  liea  in 
'your  power,  to  discountenance  rebellion  and  treason." 

"  But,  General,  my  conscience  will  not  allow  me  to  do  that." 

"Neither,  then"  replied  the  Kentucky  patriot,  "will  iny  con- 
science allow  me  to  grant  you  favors  which  are  due  only  to  loyal 
men." 

Of  course  as  there  was  nothing  further  to  be  urged,  the  baffled 
rebel  took  up  his  hat  and  left.  The  General  turned  toward  those 
who  were  sitting  in  his  tent,  and  quietly  remarked: 

"When  you  have  rendered  these  rebels  fully  sensible  of  how 
much  they  have  lost  by  their  rebellion,  you  have  taken  the  first 
step  toward  making  them  loyal  men." 

Scarcely  had  the  secesh  gentleman  taken  his  departure,  when 
there  came  to  the  door  of  the  tent  a  foppish  fellow  in  striped 
summer  clothing,  with  as  mean  a  looking  countenance  as  one 
often  sees,  even  amongst  the  rebels.  He  held  a  piece  of  paper 
in  his  hand. 

<( General,"  said  he,  with  much  levity,  insolence  and  noncha 
lance,  "General,  I  could  not  get  through  your  pickets,  although 
I  have  here  Gen.  Buell's  pass." 

"Come  in  and  sit  down,  sir,"  said  the  General;  "I  am  glad 
to  see  you;  I  was  just  about  to  send  out  and  have  jou  arrested, 
and  you  have  saved  me  the  trouble." 

The  rebel's  countenance  instantly  fell,  and  he  began  to  stam- 
mer, "Why,  General," 

In  a  voice  firm,  determined,  calm,  and  yet  just  angry  enough 
to  show  that  he  was  in  earnest,  the  General  interrupted  him: 

"I  am  told  that  you  said  to  a  crowd  upon  the  street,  that, 
rather  than  see  the  United  States  government  restored  through- 
out the  South,  you  would  see  even  jTour  wife  and  children  bur- 
ied. If  this  can  be  proven  against  you,  I  shall  send  you  at  once 
to  Fort  Warren,  as  sure  as  there  is  a  living  God!" 

Xover  could  there  be  a  more  abject  and  contemptible  looking 
specimen  of  a  human  being,  than  that  rebel,  as  he  appeared  at 
the  conclusion  of  this  speech.  The  brazen  impudence  which  at 
•  first  sat  upon  his  features  was  all  gone.  He  turned  first  red, 
then  deadly  pale;  he  looked  in'hidicrous  dismay  from  one  indi- 
•vidual  to  another;  he  writhed,  he  swallowed,  he  choked. 

':  You  are  self-condemned, Dr.  Martin,"  continued  theGeneral; 
''von  arc  guilty  of  a  heinous  ofience,  and  you  know  it.  You 
liail  committed,  by  all  laws,  human  and  divine,  the  high  crime 
of  treason.  You  had  accepted  a  commission  as  a  surgeon  in  tho 
rc!j.-]  army,  from  the  linnd.-:  of  Jeff  J>avis,  W!IUMJ  you  knew  (•.> 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  31 

be  at  the  head  of  a  vast  conspiracy  for  breaking  up  the  govern- 
ment. You  voluntarily  offered  yourself  as  a  part  of  the  machin- 
ery by  means  of  whicn  he  expected  to  overturn  the  Republic, 
and  destroy  the  lives  of  loyal  men.  You  attached  yourself,  too, 
for  the  express  purpose  of  giving  aid  and  comfort  to  those  who, 
for  more  than  a  year  past,  have  been  engaged  in  butchering  our 
friends,  our  brothers  and  our  fathers.  Your  famiy  remained  in 
this  place,  and,  notwithstanding  the  presence  of  our  troops,  they 
have  been  treated  with  the  utmost  consideration  and  respect. 
You  yourself,  becoming  tired  of  the  rebel  service,  finally  resigaed; 
and  knowing  the  clemency  of  the  government  against  which  you 
had  been  so  long  waging  war,  you  unhesitatingly  came  into  our 
midst.  Instead  of  being  at  once  arrested  and  hung  as  a  traitor, 
you  were  cordially  received,  and  treated  in  every  respect  like  a 
gentleman.  Were  you  not?" 

"Oh, yes,  General,"  stammered  the  rebel,  "I  have  been  treated 
very  gentlemanly,  indeed." 

"You were  not  deprived  of  your  liberty,  were  you?" 

"Oh,  no,  I  wasn't  even  required  to  give  any  parole,  except  my 
word." 

"  Certainly  not,"  resumed  the  General;  "notwithstanding  your 
treason,  we  desired,  if  possible,  to  waken  a  sense  of  honor  in 
your  bosom,  and  consequently  treated  you  as  a  man  of  honor, 
requiring  you  to  give  no  bond  for  your  good  behavior,  save  your 
mere  word.  Freely  as  any  loyal  citizen  you  were  permitted  to 
go  home,  to  enjoy  the  company  of  your  family,  and  to  mingle 
with  your  friends.  And  in  return,  how  have  you  requited  us? 
By  using  the  most  seditious  and  treasonable  language ;  for  some 
time,  doubtless,  within  doors;  until  at  last,  insolently  abusing 
your  priviliges,  or  wholly  unable  to  appreciate  the  wonderful 
magnanimity  of  the  government  in  giving  you  your  freedom, 
you  go  upon  the  street,  collect  a  crowd  around  you,  preach  your 
treason  to  them  openly,  and  wind  up  by  declaring  that  you  would 
rather  bury  your  wife  and  children  than  see  the  authority  of 
the  National  Government  again  restored !  Now  tell  me,  did  the 
government  ever  harm  you  in  any  way?" 

"No,"  replied  the  guilty  rebel,  "I  can't  say  that  it  ever  did." 

"And  yet  you  made  war  upon  it,  and,  even  after  it  had  given 
you  blessings  for  cursings,  sought  to  stir  up  the  devil  in  your 
neighbors'  hearts,  by  telling  them  you  would  rather  bury  your 
wife  and  children  than  see  it  resume  its  rightful  authority  over 
the  rebellious  States!" 

During  the  entire  castigation,  the  doctor  writhed  and  twisted 
like  a  serpent  in  the  talons  of  an  eagle.  Rallying  himself  some- 
what at  last,  he  made  a  feeble  attempt  at  a  denial,  and  said  he 
could  not  remember  having  ever  made  use  of  such  language. 
"My  information,"  replied  the  General,  "will  not  allow  me  to 


12  INCIDENTS  OF 

doubt  your  guilt.  Consider  yourself  under  arrest;  but,  as  I 
have  not  time  to  investigate  the  matter  more  fully  now,  T  will 
permit  you  to  go  home  to  your  family  and  spend  the  night. 
Return  to-morrow  morning  at  nine  o'clock,  when  you  shall  be 
confronted  with  the  witnesses  who  accuse  you."  In  consequence 
of  the  accusation  not  being  as  grave  as  was  at  first  supposed, 
this  rebellious  subject  was  suffered  to  remain  by  taking  the  oath 
of  allegiance. 


A  SAD  MISTAKE. 

When  the  Federal  forces  first  took  possession  of  the  two 
houses  in  Casey's  old  camp,  they  found  them  filled  with  wounded, 
both  rebel  and  Union.  The  Surgeon  of  the  Fifth  Excelsior  waa 
attending  to^hem  o-n  Monday  morning,  and  reports  a  curious" 
conversatio^  he  had  with  one  of  them.  He  was  the  first  Union 
Burgeon  they  had  seen.  One  poor  fellow  was  lying  covered  with 
a  Secesh  blanket,  with  his  face  to  the  wall.  Taking  him  for  a 
Seoesh,  the  Surgeon  said: 

'My  boy,  what  tempted  you  to  fight  against  us  ?" 

'  I  was  impressed,  sir,"  answered  the  soldier  dolefully. 

'Drafted,  were  you?" 

'Yes,  sir.     I  did'nt  want  to  come,  but  they  drafted  me,  and  I 
could' nt  help  it." 

'What  is  your  regiment?"  kindly  inquired  the  Surgeon. 

'ONE  HUNDREDTH  NEW  YORK." 

'So  they  are  drafting  in  New  York,  are  they?" 

'Yes  sir." 

The  mistake  had  been  mutual.  The  soldier  had  taken  the 
surgeon  for  a  Secessionist,  (not  seeing  his  uniform,)  and  only 
realized  the  status  of  affairs  when  told  that  it  was  a  tolerably 
large  lie  even  for  a  Secessionist  to  swallow.  The  chagrin  of  the 
mendacious  coward  at  hia  mistake,  can  better  be  imagined  than 
described. 


SOUTHERN  LOYALTY. 

The  following  incident  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  value  ot  tne 
oath  of  allegiance : 

When  General  Robert  Mitchell  was  in  Jacinto,  he  learned 
that  a  band  of  Guerrillas  had  their  headquarters  at  a  little  place 
called  Bay  Springs,  twenty  miles  further  south,  where  there  waa 
a  large  cotton  factory  belonging  tq^feNorthern  man,  whom  they 


SOLDIER   LIFE.  33 

had  driven  away,  and  whose  factory  they  were  running  on  Con- 
federate account.  By  a  detour  of. forty  miles,  General  Mitchell, 
with  a  small  force,  came  up  on  the  south  side  of  them  and  cap- 
tured some  twenty  prisoners,  killing  a  few  in  the  melee.  He 
then  took  from  the  machinery  of  the  factory  some  small,  but 
important  wheels,  which  can  bf-  replaced  only  by  a  Northern 
machinist,  and  loaded-up  all  the  cotton  his  wagons  would  hold, 
and  started  for  Jacinto.  Night  overtook  him  near  the  plantation 
of  an  old  fellow  who  had.  been  very  active  for  a  week,  or  so,  in 
peddling  onions  and  other  delicacies  through  the  camp,  and 
whose  loyalty  General  Mitchell  had  suspected,  notwithstanding 
his  oath.  He  determined  to  test  it,  and  accordingly  sent  forward 
a  portion  of  his  staff  to  ask  entertainment  for  General  Price,  of 
the  rebel  army,  and  his  staff,  for  the  night.  The  plot  worked 
admirably.  Old  Loyalty  was  delighted  to  see  General  Price, 
and  entertained  him  with  a  detaiii-;!  'iM'eonnt  of  the  Federal 
camp  at  Jacinto,  the  number  of  men,  arid  the  general  strength 
of  the  place.  He  w.as  helped  in  his  information  by  two  sons 
and  a  nephew,  nearly  grown,  who  offered  to  conduct  General 
Price  to  Jacinto  in  the  morning,  and  point  out  the  exact  position 
of  each  regiment  and  battery. 

"And,  now,"  said  General  Price,  "there  is  another  thing  quite 
as  important  as  this  information.  We  must  know  who  are  our 
real  friends  in  this  vicinity  and  whom  we  can  trust.  We  don't  caro 
a  d — n  how  often  they  swear  to  the  Feds — that  is  nothing.  ^  We 
want  men  who,  while  they  swear  to  the  Feds,  feed  and  clothe 
the  Confederates."  So  old  Loyalty  gave  the  names  of  his  prin- 
cipal neighbors  as  of  that  stripe,  detailing  with  great  care  their 
labors  in  behalf  of  the  rebel  army,  while  acting  as  peddlers  in 
the  Federal  camp,  all  of  which  General  Price  took  down  in  his 
book  of  remembrance. 

At  a  late  hour  they  retired  to  bed,  but  not  to  sleep  much.  All 
parties  were  too  well  pleased  with  the  incidents  of  the  night. 
In  the  morning,  however,  to  the  surprise  of  the  old  planter,  he 
found  his  house  guarded  by  the  blue  pants,  and  about  twenty 
Butternuts  also  under  guard,  in  "his  yard,  and  over  in  the  field 
was  a  little  army  of  the  men  whom  he  had  taken  to  be  at  Jacinto. 
The  old  man  and  the  boys  were  immediately  placed  under  a 
etrong  guard. 

The  next  night  one  of  the  neighbors  was  waited  upon  by  a 
equad  of  soldiers.  He  plead  that  he  had  taken  the  oath  —  that 
he  was  loyal,  and  that  the  Constitution  protected  him  ! 

"But  what  about  that  band  of  guerrillas  you  boarded  last 
week?"  said  the  Corporal. 

"  I  never !  "  exclaimed  the  old  man. 

"1  say,  old  fellow,"  continued  his  tormentor,  "did  that  captain 
pay  you  for  that  nice  bay  horse  he  took  away?'1 

3 


34  INCIDENTS  OF 

"No,  he  never!"  continued  the  old  fellow,  who  by  this  time 
was  too  full  of  confusion  to  explain  further. 

"Did  he  give  you  a  note  ?"  still  persisted  the  officer. 

"No,  he  never !  " 

By  this  time  southern  pluck  got  the  ascendency,  and  the  rebel 
boldly  inquired  : 

"  How  did  you  learn  about  my  private  business  ?  What  traitor 
has  betrayed  me  into  your  hands?" 

"It is  no  difference, sir,"  replied  the  officer,  "you  will  prepare 
to  go  with  us  to  Jacinto,  and  while  we  are  about  it,  as  we  shall 
have  to  clothe  you,  we  may  as  well  take  a  little  of  your  cotton." 

So  onion  peddler  No.  2  lost  his  liberty  and  his  cotton. 


STONEWALL  JACKSON. 

The  notorious  rebel  General,  Thomas  Jefferson  Jackson,  got 
the  sobriquet  of  "Stonewall,"  from  the  fact  of  his  fighting  from 
behind  a  stone  wall  in  one  of  the  battles  of  Virginia.  He  is  a 
brave,  shrewd  General,  and  as  he  has  won  such  notoriety  in  the 
rebel  cause,  a  slight  sketch  of  his  character  and  cunning  may 
not  be  uninteresting. 

He  is  described  as  a  "slow  man,"  intellectually,  even  dull. 
Some  say  he  was  a  tedious  professor,  and  all  agree  that  he  haa 
a  creeping  look.  And  yet,  if  you  ask  them  what  they  mean 
by  that,  they  say  they  don't  know;  "all  they  do  know  is,  that 
he  is  as  obstinate  as  a  mule,  and  plucky  as  a  bull  dog,"  which 
means  just  nothing  of  a  man  whose  prime  quality  is  celerity, 
quick  conclusions,  and  startling  execution;  who,  as  a  soldier,  ia 
as  rapid  as  he  is  wary,  abounding  in  surprises,  brave  almost  to 
rashness,  and  inventive  almost  to  romance. 

As  for  his  outer  man,  he  looks  at  least  seven  years  older  ihan 
he  is — his  height  about  five  feet  ten  Cinches;  his  figure  is  thick 
set,  square  shouldered,  and  decidedly  clnmsy;  his  gait  very  awk- 
ward, stooping,  and  with  long  strides.  He  often  walks  with  his 
head  somewhat  on  one  side,  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground, 
imparting  to  his  whole  appearance  that  abstracted  quality  which 
young  ladies  describe  as  "absent  minded."  A  lady  who  has 
known  him  long  and  well,  remarks  that  she  never  saw  him 
on  horseback  without  laughing.  Short  stirrup?,  knees  cramped 
up,  heels  stuck  out  behind,  and  chin  on  his  breast — a  most  un- 
military  phenomenon.  In  society  he  is  quiet,  but  cheerful;  not 
loquacious,  but  intelligent  and  shrewd;  in  religion,  the  bluest 
kind  or  a  Presbyterian,  and  extremely  strict  in  his  church  ob- 
servances. In  \Vinchester  he  took  a  very  active  part  in  revivals, 
and  habitually  led  the  "  Union"  Prayer  Meetings. 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  35 

To  Illustrate  the  popularity  of  the  man :  For  some  reason, 
which  has  never  been  made  public,  the  expediency  of  removing 
him  from  his  command  was  at  one-  time  freely  discussed  in  the 
Confederate  Cabinet,  and  all  but  two  members  favored  the  mo- 
tion. These  two,  argaing  that  a  »an  of  such  exemplary  modesty, 
and  yet  of  such  intense  religious  enthusiasm  and  indomitable 
firmness,  must  possess  those  moral  -elements  which,  combined 
with  his  military  education  and  experience,  should  constitute  a 
great  General.  Their  opposition  served  to  postpone  a  decision, 
and  the  motion  was  held  auder  consideration.  Meantime,  'the 
people  of  "the  valley  got  wind  of  the  affair,  and  with  a  great 
«<atcry  -of  indignation  and  threats  so  assailed  the  powers  at 
Richmond,  that  tke  question  was  dropped  "like  a  hot  potato." 
It  was  about  this  time  that  Jackson  sent  to  Richmond  his  Rebel- 
famous  dispatch—"  Send  me  more  men  and  BO  orders,  or  more 
orders  and  no  men." 

Such  is  the  Rebel  Napoleon,  for  whom  his  people  venture  tft 
c4s,irn  that  in  four  weeks  he  has  marched  three  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  and  won  four  victories — that  he  has  crippled  or  dis- 
persed the  forces  of  Milroy  and  Schenck  at  McDowell,  Banks  at 
Front  Royal  and  Winchester,  Fremont  at  Cros*.  Keys,  and 
Shields  at  Port  Republic  — that  he  held  McDowell  in  «heck  -to 
take  care  of  Washington  and  Maryland,  and  monopolizes,  for 
the  amusement  of  -the  world,  the  attention  of  six  distinguished 
Generals. 

.  Nevertheless,  when  he  fell  back  to  Winchester  from  pursuing 
Banks,  he  said  to  the  people  there:  "When  we  left  you  last 
March,  we  promised  to  return  —  and  here  we  are.  Now,  with 
much  more  confidence,  we  promise  to  return  again,  and  ««0ft. 
Only  be  prudent  and  patient." 

And  to  the  women  :  "  When  the  Union  troops  come  in  again, 
as  they  will,  do  not  forget  yourselves." 

The  surgeon  of  one  of  the  Indiana  regiments,  and  two  of  his 
brother  officers,  were  captured  by  a  party  of  Ashby's  cavalry 
and  taken  before  Jackson.  Immediately  on  hearing  their  names 
he  said:  "It  was  you,  gentlemen,  who  lately  saved  the  property 
of  a  dear  frie«d  of  mine  in  the  valley  from  the  fury  of  your  own 
men.  I  thank  you.  Have  you  any  means  of  transportation 
back  to  your  regiment?" 

"  We  have  not,  General." 

He  then  gave  them  horses,  an  escort,  aud  $100,  and  courte- 
ously dismissed  them  on  their  parole. 

The  chivalry  of  Richmond  descend,  at  times,  to  the  vulgar  re- 
laxation of  street  jokes,  as  thus: 

"  Well,  Rebel,  are  you  ready  to  be  pushed  to  that  walll M 

"What  wall?" 

"StobcmdL" 


.    .• 


g£  INCIDENTS  OF 

"Where  is  it?" 

"Eight  in  front  of  the  last  ditch." 

One  thing  is  certain — Jackson  is  equally  eminent  as  a  strate- 
gist and  tactitian.  He  handles  his  army  like  a  whip,  making  it 
crack  in  out-of-the-way  corners  where  you  scarcely  thought  the 
lash  would  reach. 

Colonel  Ford  had  a  conversation  of  an  hour  or  more  with  him, 
and  he  represents  him  as  a  moat  cool  and  imperturbable  person- 
age. Jackson  said  the  rebels  did  not  intend  to  damage  anything 
in  Maryland  except  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  which  they 
considered  as  contraband  of  war.  They  intended  no  harm  to 
the  people  of  the  North,  and  only  desired  to  impress  upon  them 
and  the  whole  world  their  ability  to  achieve  their  independence. 
"While  they  were  in  conversation  an  orderly  rode  rapidly  across 
the  bridge,  and  said  to  Gen.  Jackson : 

"I  am  ordered,  by  General  McLaws,  to  report  to  yon  that  Gen 
eral  McClellan  is  within  six  miles,  with  an  immense  army.'.' 

Jackson  took  no  notice  of  the  orderly,  apparently,  and  con 
tinued  his  conversation ;  but,  when  the  orderly  had  turned  away 
Jackson  called  after  him  with  the  question  : 

"Has  McClelFan  any  baggage  train,  or  drove  of  cattle?" 

"He  has,  sir,"  replied  the  orderly. 

"Very  well,"  he  said,  " my  men  are  hungry,  and  we  can  whip 
any  army  that  is  followed  by  a  drove  of  cattle." 

A  rather  frank  admission  of  the  famishing  condition  of  the 
rebel  army. 


A  KEEN  ANSWER. 

The  Indian  rebellion  in  Minnesota  is  generally  supposed  to 
have  been  prompted  by  rebel  authority,  although  the  chivalry 
generally  disclaim  being  privy  to  any  such  barbarities.  Occa- 
sionally, however,  a  word  will  leak  out  which  shows  that  they 
know  more  about  it  than  they  are  willing  to  acknowledge. 

General  Wm.  W.  Morris  had  for  hjs  guests  the  Marquis  of 
Huntingdon  and  some  of  the  British  navy  officers.  In  the  course 
of  conversation  one  of  them  inquired  of  the  General  whether 
the  employment  of  parolled  prisoners  taken  at  Harper's  Ferry 
against  the  Indians  was  not  a  violation  of  the  parol. 

"  That  would  depend  upon  the  character  of  the  parol,"  said 
the  General.  "If  it  is  not  to  take  up  arms  against  the  rebels 
till  exchanged,  and  so  I  understand  it  to  be,  I  should  think  their 
being  employed  against  the  Indians  would  not  be  a  violation  of 
the  terms  of  the  engagement." 


80LDIER   LIFE.  45 

A  UNION  WOMAN. 

One  of  the  enrolling  marshals  of  Philadelphia  stopped   at  a 
lady's  house  to  hunt  up  all  the  inmates  liable  to  military  duty. 

'Have  you  any  men  here,  ma'am?"  inquired  the  officer  gruffly. 

'No,"  answered  the  lady,  in  the  same  tone. 

'Have  you  no  husband,  ma'am?" 

'No." 

'Nor  brothers?" 
.  '  No." 

'Perhaps  you  have  .t  son,  ma'am?" 

'Well,  \vhatofit?" 

'I  should  like  to  know  where  he  is." 

'Well,  he  isn't  here," 
"So  I  see,  ma'am.     Pray,  where  is  he?" 
"In  the  Union  army,  where  you  ought  to  be." 
The  marshal  did  not  further  interrogate  the  lady. 


TERRIBLE  EXECUTION  OF  TEN  GUERRILLAS. 

An  eye-witness  tells  the  following  thrilling  story,  which  illus- 
trates the  rigid  discipline  that  is  necessary  in  times  of  war: 

After,  looking  around  through  a  very  clean  camp  of  some 
blue-capped  recruits,  and  a  very  dirty  camp  of  an  old  regiment 
that  had  been  at  Shiloh,  I  returned  to  the  headquarters,  when 
I  found  the  General  and  his  staff  just  mounting  to  go  to  the 
execution  ground.  Presently  came  the  solemn  roll  of  the 
muffled  drum,  and  then  appeared  the  head  of  a  column  of  sold- 
iers, moving  over  the  hill  at  a  slow  pace.  Going  toward  them,  I 
found  it  was  the  execution  party  with  the  condemned  men. 
First,  a  prisoner — hard,  desperate  face,  yet  showing  intelligence 
— then  a  file  of  soldiers  six  abreast,  and  ao  on  down  the  column, 
until  the  rear  was  brought  up  by  the  regiment  of  infantry,  the 
recruits,  and  some  cavalry  clad  in  homespun,  that,  but  for  their 
arms,  I  should  have  supposed  were  Secesh  prisoners,  but  found 
they  were  militia  of  Missouri,  called  out  by  their  Governor  to 
put  down  guerrillas. 

The  execution  ground  was  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town, 
and  when  I  reached  there  I  found  the  troops  drawn  up  on  three 
sides  of  a  square,  while  the  fourth  was  occupied  by  the  con- 
demned and  the  firing  parties.  A  long  line  of  mounted  sentinels 
kept  back  the  too-curious  crowd,  but  a  word  from  a  polite  little 
Major,  who  had  previously  seen  me  at  the  headquarters,  admit- 
ted me,  and  I  took  my  place  near  the  General  and  his  Staff,  in 
one  corner  of  the  square.  After  some  time  occupied  in  the 


4$  TNCIDEKTS  OF 

preliminary  preparations,  eack  prisoner  wns  blindfolded,  a*<d 
knelt  in  front  of  his  own  execution  party.  A  venerable-looking, 
gray-heuded  Chaplain  now  stepped  otrt  from  among  tbe  staff,  nnd 
in  a  short,  fervent  prayer,  commended  the  souls  of  these  poer 
wretches  to  the  mercy  of  the  God  before  whom  they  would 
shortly  appear.  Every  thing  was  as  still  as  death.  The  perfect 
hush)  if  1  may  say  so,  was  painfully  distinct,  and  I  could  see,  even 
Hftder  the  grave,  stern  face  of  the  General,  a  softening  look,  aa 
if  he  was  still  struggling  between  duty  and  mercy. 

For  *  moment  the  silence  was  awful ;  then  came  the  clear 
tone  of  cosiiaand  of  the  officer  of  the  duy : 

"  Ready ;  aim ;  fire ! " 

A  rattling  discharge;  -a  pnff  of  smoke;  a  groan;  and  nil  was 
over.  The  ten  had  paid  the  penalty  of  their  broken  oaths.  For 
«,  moment  all  was  hushed,  aa  before,  and  then  you  could  almost 
hear  the  long  drawn  breath  -of  relief.  The  bright  sun  shone  as 
calmly  and  clearly  as  before,  but  shone  on  ten  corpses  stiff  «nd 
stark,  where  a  moment  before  were  ten  men  ia  the  full  flush  of 
physical  health. 

A  surgeon  stepped  from  the  lines  and  walked  along,  examin- 
ing eaeh  body  as  he  passed,  then  stepped  up  to  the  G«aeral  with 
a  stiff  military  salute: 

"  They  are  all  dead,  Sir." 

"  Very  well,  Sir,"  replied  the  General,  without  the  change  of 
a  muscle,  not  the  slightest  relaxing  of  the  outward  sternness, 
and  yet,  I  thought,  a  moment  ago,  you  miglit  have  saved  their 
lives.  Truly,  here  is  a  man  whose  -sense  of  duty  would  carry 
him  thro«gh  *ny  thing,  and  I  felt  disappointed  that  he  exhibited 
no  more  feeliug.  But  a  moment  after,  as  he  turned  to  mount 
Lie  horse,  I  heard  him  say  to  one  of  his  staff,  "God  in  mercy 
spare  me  such  a  deity  as  that  again,  and  yet  mercy  to  those  men 
is  the  harshest  cruelty  to  the  whole  people  of  this  State." 


REBEL  GRATITUDE. 

When,  from  blind  motives,  a  good  man  enters  into  a  wicked 
cause,  as  is  this  rebellion,  he  must  needs  let  some  of  his  better 
nature  leak  out  occasionally.  Several  Union  prisoners  were 
brought  before  Colonel  Gardiner,  who,  .as  soon  as  he  beheld  them, 
ordered  them  to  be  immediately  and  unconditionally  released, 
and  made  each  man  a  handsome  present. 

At  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  Colonel  Gardiner  was  wounded  and 
left  on  the  field  to  die.  These  men  found  him,  gave  him  water 
from  their  canteens,  and  otherwise  ministered  to  his  wants,  thus 
restoring  him  to  life.  This  is  an  evidence  of  how  kindness  sub- 
dues even  youi1  cneiaies  on  the  battle  field. 


SOLDIEH  LIFE.  47 

A  YANKEE  TRICK. 

A  shrewd  stratagem  was  successfully  employed  by  Capt.  Greg- 
ory, of  the  United  States  brig  Bohio,  employed  on  blockading 
duty  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  A  schooner  was  discovered  far 
away  in  the  distance,  which,  on  the  Bohio  displaying  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  tried  to  escape.  -All  sail  was  crowded  on  the.Bohio, 
but  without  gaining  on  the  strange  craft,  which  proved  to  be  a 
fast  sailer,  and  beyond  the  reach  of  the  Bohio's  guns.  The  Bo- 
hio's  sails  were  then  wet,  when  a  slight  gain  was  made.  At  last 
the  Captain  resorted  to  strategy,  and  rigged  a  "smokestack" 
amidships,  and  built  a  fire,  and  soon  had  "steam  on."  As  soon 
as  the  stranger  saw  this  she  hove  to,  thinking  the  Bohio  was  a, 
steamer  and  would  soon  catch  her.  On  boarding  her  she  was 
found  to  be  the  Henry  Travers,  of  Nassau,  N.  P.,  with  a  cargo 
of  coffee  and  soap,  with  which  she  intended  to  run  the  blockade, 
she  made  a  nice  prize,  worth  $50,000. 


THE  FATE  OF  ZOLLlCOFFER. 

At  the. battle  of  Mill  Spring,  two  mounted  officers  came  trotting 
along  the  right  flank  of  the  4th  Kentucky,  and  noticing  their 
firing  upon  the  rebels  noar  by,  shouted  : 

"Don't  fire  on  your  friends;  they  are  Mississippians." 

At  this  juncture  Colonel  Fry  came  up  to  the  front  of  his 
regiment,  when  one  of  the  officers  fired  upon  him,  the  ball  pass- 
ing close  to  his  head.  At  a  glance,  Colonel  Fry  recognized,  in 
the  other,  General  Zollicoffer.  In  a  twinkling  he  pulled  out  his 
revolver  and  fired  at  the  rebel  chieftain,  putting  a  bullet  through 
his  breast,  and  causing  his  fall  from  the  horse  and  instant  death. 
The  rebel  aid  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  quickly  spread  the 
news  of  the  fall  of  his  General  among  the  rebels. 

Zollicoffer's  body  lay  for  nearly  three  days  on  the  ground,  in 
front  of  the  tent  of  the  sutler  of  the  10th  Kentucky,  wrapped  in 
a  blanket.  He  was  a  man  of  middle  height,  light  hair,  rather 
long  features,  well  formed  profile,  and  rather  pleasant  expression 
of  countenance,  which  grim  death  did  not  altogether  destroy. 
His  skin  was  beautifully  white  and  clear.  He  had  his  beard 
shaved  off  on  the  evening  before  the  battle,  probably  in  rrder  to 
be  less  easily  recognized.  It  was  a  pity  that  his  remains  were 
outrageously  treated  by  the  thousands  of  soldiers  and  citizens 
that  flocked  to  see  them.  Not  only  was  all  of  his  hair  cut  ofT 
close  to  the  skull,  but  the  body  was  stripped  of  its  clothing. 
When  killed,  he  had  on  a  white  rubber  coat,  under  which  he 
wore  a  full  General's  uniform.  The  rubber  coat,  the  uniform, 


48  INCIDENTS  OP 

the  boots,  his  over  and  undershirt,  and  even  his  socks,  were 
either  carried  off  whole,  or  gradually  cut  off  in  pieces.  On 
Tuesday  evening  the  body  was  almost  naked.  This  kind  of 
curiosity-hunting  borders  on  vandalism.  The  warm  temperature 
that  prevailed  after  the  battle  hastened  the  decomposition  of  the 
remains.  Then  was  literally  " treason  smelling  to  heaven." 
What  a  horrid  end  of  a  once  high  and  honorable  career. 


NOVEL  AMMUNITION. 

During  the  battle  of  Antietam,  broken  railroad  iron,  black- 
smith's tools,  hammers,  chisels,  etc.,  were  fired  at  us  from  rebel 
cannon.  Some  of  these  missiles  made  a  peculiar  noise,  resemb- 
ling "  which-away,  which-away,"  by  which  our  men  came  to 
distinguish  them  from  regular  shot  and  shell,  and  as  they  heard 
them  approaching  they  would  cry  "turkey!  turkey  coining!" 
and  fall  flat  to  avoid  them.  One  of  the  artillerists,  a  German, 
when  he  saw  the  tools  falling  around  him,  exclaimed : 

"My  Gott!  we  shall  have  the  blacksmith's  shop  to  come  next! " 


LOST  MULES  RECOVERED,  WITH  INTEREST. 

When  the  Union  troops  first  received  their  teams,  at  Paducah, 
they  had  some  difficulty  in  procuring  forage,  so  the  mules  were 
turned  loose.  From  time  to  time  these  mules  were  missing,  until 
at  last  Uncle  Sam  found  himself  minus  some  twenty-five  or  thirty. 
Those  which  strayed  away  were  caught  up  by  rebel  speculators, 
and  taken  to  Blandville,  where  they  had  accumulated  about  fifty 
stolen  and  purchased  animals,  which  were  under  the  charge  of 
half  a  dozen  keepers.  Two  privates  of  the  14th  Illinois,  hear- 
ing of  the  whereabouts  of  the  stock,  asked  General  Smith's  per- 
mission to  go  and  get  them,  which,  with  some  misgivings,  the 
General  granted. 

The  two  boys,  dressing  themselves  in  the  garb  f  Kentucky 
farmers,  went  and  surveyed  the  field  and  fold,  and  jet  to.  work. 
They  had  whisky  with  them,  such  whisky  as  the  rebels  like  to 
get  drunk  on — good  old  Bourbon — and  the  first  object  was  to  get 
them  as  comfortably  tight  as  possible.  When  this  was  accom- 
plished, which  was  no  difficult  matter,  the  boys  went  to  the  mule 
yard,  let  down  the  bars,  mounted  two  of  the  best,  and,  without 
saddle  or  bridle,  started  for  Paducah,  the  whole  lot  of  mules  fol- 
lowing at  a  breakneck  pace,  and  braying  in  the  most  diabolical 
chorus. 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  4$ 

This  music  somewhat  sobered  the  rebel  keepers,  who  when 
they  discovered  the  trick,  gave  chase;  but  not  deeming  it  pru- 
dent to  venture  too  close  to  the  Union  lines,  they  halted,  held 
council,  and  concluded  to  return  home  and  make  the  best  of  their 
Bourbon  sell ;  while  the  boys  rode  furiously  into  camp  with  their 
tihri-eking  retinue,  and  reported  to  General  Smith. 

''Well,  boys,  what  luck?"  asked  the  General. 

"We  got  'em  good,  sure,  and  more  too,"  said  one. 

"Ah!'    said  the  General,  "how  many  did  you  get?" 

"Well,  about  forty,  I  reckon;  haint  counted  'em  yet,"  said 
the  soldier. 

"  But  that  is  more  than  we  have  lost.  You  didn't  steal  any,  1 
hope?"  said  the  General,  chidingly. 

"Steal!"  exclaimed  the  soldier,  "Kr- — istopherf  steal!  No 
eirree;  but  you  see  we  didn't  have  time  to  put  up  the  bars,  after 
we  got  ourn  out,  and  the  d — d  things  would  foller!  " 

The  General  was  astonished,  both  at  the  trick  and  the  impious 
language;  and,  putting  on  a  long  face,  he  sternly  lectured  the 
soldier  for  using  profane  language  in  the  presence  of  a  general 
officer. 

The  soldier  took  the  lecture  quite  uneasily,  twirling  his  hat 
nervously,  and,  when  the  General  concluded,  apologized  as  fol- 
lows: 

"You  see,  General,  we've  had  to  cuss  the  d— -d  things  all  day 
to  get  'em  into  camp,  and  it's  devilish  hard  to  quit  off  all  of  a 
sudden!" 

The  General  relaxed  the  rigidity  of  his  features,  and  would 
have  laughed  had  discipline  permitted.  In  consideration,  how- 
ever, of  the  twenty-five  mules  and  "more  too,"  he  generously 
dismissed  the  boys  without  an  order  for  arrest.  The  boys  were 
glad  to  get  otf  so  easily;  but  they  declared,  as  they  closed  the 
door,  that  "such  a  pious  old  cuss  had  no  business  to  be  round 
among  soldiers." 


DEATH  OF  GEN.  NELSON. 

Brigadier  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis  reported  to  Major  General 
Nelson  that  he  had  the  brigade,  assigned  to  his  command,  ready 
for  service,  and  desired  to  know  if  he  could  get  arms  for  them 

"How  many  men  have  you  ?"  asked  Nelson. 

"About  2,500,  sir,"  replied  Davis. 

"About  2,500!    About!"  answered  Nelson,  savagely.     "You 
a  regular  officer,  and  report  about  the  number  of  men  in  your 
command!     Don't  you  know,  sir,  you  should  report  the  exact 
number  ?" 
4 


50  INCIDENTS  OF 

"But,  General,"  replied  Davis,  "I  didn't  expect  to  get  the 
arms  now;  I  only  wanted  to  know  if  I  could  get  them,  and  when; 
and,  having  learned  that,  I  would  ascertain  the  exact  number 
and  draw  accordingly." 

" About  2,500,"  grumbled  Nelson.  "I  suspend  you  from  your 
command,  and  order  you  to  report  to  General  Wright,  and  I've 
a  d — d  mind  to  send  you  out  of  the  city  with  a  provost  guard! " 

Subsequently  they  again  met  at  the  Gait  House,  in  Louisville, 
when  General  Davis  asked  an  explanation,  and  remarked: 

"General  Nelson,  I  am  a  genenil  officer,  and  as  such  I  wish  to 
be  treated." 

Nelson's  language  was  very  profane  and  insulting  on  this  oc- 
casion. 

"You  do  not  deserve  it, sir,"  he  replied,  "when  you  are  igno- 
rant of  the  number  of  your  men." 

"  But,  General,  I  wish  an  explanation — I  demand  it,"  persisted 
Davis. 

''You've  got  all  you  deserve,  you  d — d  puppy!"  replied  Nel- 
eon,  at  the  same  time  slapping  Davis  in  the  face,  while  he  con- 
tinued his  abuse. 

The  stinging  blow  and  the  stinging  language  were  too  much 
for  the  spirited  nature  of  General  Davis.  He  immediately  turned 
to  a  friend,  borrowed  a  pistol,  and,  stepping  up  to  his  superior, 
bid  him  defend  himself,  and,  as  Nelson  turned,  he  fired,  the  ball 
passing  through  his  body. 

Nelson  lived  but  twenty  minutes,  and  these  last  twenty,  pre- 
cious moments  of  his  life,  were  passed  in  religious  exercises 
with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Talbott. 

General  Nelson  was  a  brave  soldier,  but  had  an  irritable  tem- 
per, which  the  circumstances  of  his  maritime  life  had  in  no  way 
tended  to  soften.  It  is  an  old  adage  that  "  He  who  would  gov- 
ern others  must  first  learn  to  govern  himself."  Had  General 
Nelson  adopted  this  principle  in  early  life,  he  might  still  have 
been  doing  honor  to  himself  and  service  to  his  country.  Gen- 
eral Davis  was  arrested,  but  subsequently  released  and  assigned 
to  his  command. 


A  ZOO-ZOO  JOKE. 

The  Zouaves  are  notorious  for  their  jokes,  and  sometimes 
they  are  cracked  to  some  practical  purpose.  One  of  them,  who 
had  formerly  been  a  typo  in  Chicago,  was  on  picket  duty  one 
day,  when  an  F.  F.  V.,  with  rather  more  than  the  usual  pom- 
posity of  his  race,  rode  up  in  a  carriage  from  the  direction  of 
Alexandria,  driven,  of  course,  by  his  servant.  Zoo-Zoo  stepped 


SOLDIER  LITE.  37 

•"  But  is  it  nat  a  violation  of  the  spirit  of  the  parol  ?  "  said  on«. 

•"I  do  not  see  it,"  replied  the  General. 

u<But,"  said  the  other,  "would  not  the  United  States  be  com- 
pelled to  employ  against  the  Indians  a  portion  of  the  force  they 
are  now  employing  against  the  Confederates,  if  their  parolled 
prisoners  could  not  be  so  used?" 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  Gemeral,  "bat  the  rebels  do  not  claim 
the  Indiaas  as  their  allies,  and  the  argument  is  not,  therefore, 
tenable." 

"But  suppose  you  were  at  war  with  us?" 

"The  same  rule  would  hold  good." 

"If  we  were  the  allies  of  the  Confederates?" 

"That,"  replied  the  General,  earnestly,  "  would  alter  the  case 
very  materially ;  but  in  that  event  we  might  not  need  the  assist- 
ance of  parolled  prisoners! " 

The  visitors  did  not  press  the  subject  further,  for  the  manner 
of  the  General  gave  an  appreciative  zest  to  his  words.  It  must 
be  remembered  that  the  foreigners  are  themselves  the  authors 
of  these  stories,  which  they  told  with  no  little  glee,  as  the  result 
of  a  discomfiture  they  had  not  looked  for. 


YANKEE  HORNS. 

The  lower  classes  of  Rebeldom  have  strange  notions  of  the 
Yankees.  Some  of  them  are  taught  to  believe  that  the  Yankee 
is  a  curiosity — a  sort  of  lusus  natural,  who  wears  horns,  and  has 
bristly  hair  all  over  his  body,  cloven  feet,  etc.  A  traveler  tells 
the  following: 

A  staving  ride  of  nine  miles  brought  us  to  the  farm-hcuse  of 
Jerry  Ballou,  a  decent  old  man,  who  gave  us  a  supper,  a  good 
bed,  and  a  ehaace  to  nurse  my  wounded  man.  As  we  rode  up, 
his  little  daughter  looked  curiously  at  me. 

"Paw,  is  that  a  Yankee  ?" 

"Yes,  little  dear,"  said  I,  "and  if  I  had  known  I  was  coming 
to  make  you  a  visit,  I  should  have  worn  my  horns." 

The  child  looked  wonders  at  me,  and,  eyeing  me  from  head  to 
foot,  innocently  remarked: 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  but  you  look  like  people  when  you  1  ain't 
got  your  horns  OH." 


REBEL  LIBERALITY. 

The  rebels  were  extremely  liberal  about  paying  for  everything, 
In  their  bogus  and  baseless  scrip.;  in  fact,  they  frequently  forced 


J$  INCIDENTS  Of 

this  upon  the  people,  and  compelled  them  to  take  large  qnantifeie» 
of  it  whether  they  would  or  no. 

During  a  rebel  raid  into  Kentucky  they  seized  a  horse  belong- 
ing to  a  Union  man. 

"What  is  he  worth?"  they  demanded. 

"One  hundred  dollars,"  replied  the  man. 

"O,"  said  they,  "that  re  entirely  too  cheap;  we  will  give  yon 
two  handred."  Upon  this  they  pulled-  out  two  hundred  dollars 
of  Confederate  scrip  and  handed  it  toward  him. 

"Have  you  no  other  money?"  he  asked-. 

"  None, '  was  the  reply. 

"Very  well,"  said  he,  "you  are  welcome  to  the  hors«;  f  <to 
not  want  your  money." 

"  B«t  you  must  take  it,"  said  they,  "or  we  will  immediately 
arrest  you  for  treason." 

Upon  this  he  accepted  it,  and  they  moved  off  with  his  horse. 
This,  and  hundreds  of  similar  incidents,  she-v?  that  one  grand 
object  of  the  rebel  raid  in  Kentucky,  was  to  force  vast  quanti- 
ties of  this  worthless  scrip  upon  the  people,  and  thus  enlist  the 
pecuniary  interests  of  a  large  class  of  them  in,  favor  of  theis 
bogus  government. 


A  CLERGYMAN  INDUCES  A  BURGLAR  TO  GO  TO  THE 
WARS. 

An  eminent  Presbyterian  clergyman  of  Philadelphia,  stopping 
at  one  of  our  first-class  hotete,  was  awakened  in  the  night  by  a 
noise  in  his  room.  Supposing  it  was  caused  by  a  young  friend 
who  shared  the  room,  he  called  to  him.  by  name.  'Receiving  no 
answer,  he  raised  his  head  and  saw,  by  the  faint  light  of  th* 
moon,  that  his  companion  was  in  bed,  and  that  the  noise  was 
caused  by  a  figure  whose  shadowy  outline  he  saw  in  another 
part  of  the  room.  Springing  from  his  Ved,  and  rushing  upon 
the  intruder,  the  clerical1  gentleman  exclaimed1: 

"What  are  you  doing  in  my  room?" 

"  Robbing  you,"  promptly  and  coolly  answered  the  visitor. 

The  young  man  being  by  this  time  awakened,  and  having 
lighted  the  gas,  our  divine  proceeded  to  examine  the  capture 
that  he  had  made.  Placing  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  and 
lending  on  the  thief  a  look  that  "took  the  measure  of  his  soul./' 
he  interrogated  him  concerning  his  course  of  life,  and  the  causes 
that  had  thus  strangely  brought  them  together.  After  a  long 
conversation  the  clergyman  had  so  charmed  the  burglar  and  won 
his  affection,  that  he  begged  to  be  taken  into  his  service,  saying 
lie  would  he  honest,  and  follow  him,  to  the  ead  of  the  earth* 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  39 

Oar  friend,  not  desiring  to  have  a  follower  whose  acquaintance 
had  been  so  strangely  made,  and  wishing  at  the  same  time  to 
give  the  culprit  a  chance  far  reform,  promised  that  he  would  not 
deliver  him  to  justice  if  he  would  enter  the  army,  and  agreed 
that,  in  the  morning,  he  would  make  the  necessary  arrangements 
for  his  enlistment.  The  thief  left,  with  the  promise  that,  at  a 
certain  hour  the  next  day,  he  would  meet  the  clergyman  at  the 
hotel,  and  go  with  him  to  the  nearest  recruiting  station. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  the  burglar  was  prompt  at  keeping 
his  appointment,  and  accompanied  his  new  friend  to  the  rendez- 
vous, was  enrolled,  inspected,  mustered  in,  uniformed,  and  the 
same  afternoon  left  for  his  regiment  with  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, showering  thanks  upon  the  head  of  his  strangely  acquired 
benefactor. 


CLERICAL  BON    MOT. 

When  at  dinner,  the  other  day,  at  the  residence  of  a  mutual 
friend,  Bishop  Rosecrans  being  at  the  table,  the  conversation 
naturally  turned  upon  th  ecent  fight  at  luka,  under  command 
of  his  brother,  General  Rosecrans. 

"It  would  seem  to  me,  Bishop,  that  you  and  your  brother,  the 
General,  are  engaged  in  very  different  callings,"  remarked  a 
gentleman  to  his  worship. 

"Yes,  it  appears  so,'  returned  the  Bishop.  "And  yet,"  he 
continued,  "  we  are  both  fighting  men.  While  the  General  is 
wielding  '  the  sword  of  the  flesh,'  I  trust  that  I  am  using  '  the 
eword  of  the  Spirit.'  He  is  fighting  the  rebels,  and  I  am  fight- 
ing the  spirits  of  darkness.  There  is  this  difference  in  the  terms 
of  our  service:  he  is  fighting  with  Price,  while  1  am  fighting 
without  price." 


A  THRILLING  ROMANCE. 

The  case  of  private  Scott,  killed  in  the  fight  near  Lee's 
is  worthy  of  being  recorifed.  He  was  court  martialed  for  sleep- 
ing on  his  post,  out  near  Chain  Bridge,  on  the  Upper  Potomac. 
He  was  convicted;  the  sentence  was  death  ;  the  finding  was  ap- 
proved of  by  the  General,  and  the  day  fixed  for  his  execution. 
He  was  a  youth  of  more  than  ordinary  intel  igence;  he  did  not 
beg  for  pardon,  but  was  willing  to  meet  his  fate.  The  time  drew 
near;  the  stern  necessity  of  war  required  that  an  example 
should  be  made  of  some  one;  his  was  an  aggravated  case.  But 


40  INCIDENTS  OF 

the  case  reached  the  ears  of  the  President;  he  resolved  to  save 
him;  he  signed  a  pardon  and  sent  it  out;  the  day  came.  "Sup- 
pose," thought  the  President,  "my  pardon  has  not  reached  him." 
The  telegraph  was  called  into  reqisition;  an  answer  did  not 
come  promptly.  "Bring  up  my  carriage,"  he  ordered.  It  came, 
and  soon  the  important  State  papers  were  dropped,  and,  through 
the  hot,  broiling  sun  and  dusty  roads,  he  rode  to  the  camp,  about 
ten  miles,  and  saw  that  the  soldier  was  saved  !  He  has  doubt- 
less forgotten  the  incident,  but  the  soldier  did  not.  When  the 
3rd  Vermont  charged  upon  the  rifle  pits,  the  enemy  poured  a 
volley  upon  them.  The  first  man  who  fell,  with  six  bullets  in 
his  body,  was  Wm.  Scott,  of  Company  K.  His  comrades  caught 
him  up,  and,  as  his  life-blood  ebbed  away,  he  raised  to  heaven, 
amid  the  din  of  war,  the  cries  of  the  dying,  and  the  shouts  of  the 
enemy,  a  prayer  for  the  President;  and  as  he  died  he  remarked 
to  his  comrade  that  he  had  shown  he  was  no  coward  and  not 
afraid  to  die. 

He  was  interred,  in  the  presence  of  his  regiment,  in  a  little 
grove  about  two  miles  to  the  rear  of  the  Rebel  fort,  in  the  center 
of  a  group  pf  holly  and  vines ;  a  few  cherry  trees,  in  full  bloom, 
are  scattered  around  the  edge.  In  digging  his  grave,  a  skull 
and  bones  were  found,  and  metal  buttons,  showing  that  the 
identical  spot  had  been  used  in  the  Revolutionary  war  for  our 
fathers  who  fell  in  the  same  cause.  The  Chaplain  narrated  the 
circumstance  to  the  boys,  who  stood  around  with  uncovered 
heads.  He  prayed  for  the  President,  and  paid  a  most  glowing 
tribute  to  his  noble  heart.  The  tears  started  in  their  eyes  as  the 
clods  of  earth  were  thrown  upon  him  in  his  narrow  grave,  where 
he  lay  shrouded  in  his  coat  and  blanket. 

The  men  separated;  in  a  few  minutes  all  were  engaged  in 
something  around  the  camp,  as  though  nothing  unusual  had 
happened ;  but  that  scene  will  live  upon  their  memories  while 
life  lasts;  the  calm  look  of  Scott's  face,  the  seeming  look  of 
satisfaction  he  felt,  still  lingered ;  and  could  the  President  hav« 
eeen  him,  he  would  have  felt  that  his  act  of  mercy  had  been 
•wisely  bestowed. 


GENERAL  TILGHMAN  LIONIZED. 

When  General  Tilghman  was  taken  prisoner,  Commodore 
Foote  asked  him  why  he  wished  to  fight  against  the  "old  flag?" 

"It  was  hard,"  he  replied,  "but  I  had  to  go  with  my  people.'1" 

One  of  the  reporters,  who  was  preparing  a  dispatch,  asked 
him:  "How  do  you  spell  your  name,  General?" 

''Sir,"  he  answered,  "I  do  not  desire  to  have  my  namfe appear 
in  this  matter,  in  any  newspaper  connection  whatever.  If  Gen. 


SOLBIEll  LIFE.  4j 

Grant  sees  fit  to  use  it  in  his  official  dispatches,  1  have  rio  objec- 
tion, Sir;  .but  I  do  not  wish  to  have  it  in  the  newspapers." 

"I  merely  asked  it,"  persisted  the  reporter,  "to  mention  aa 
one  among  the  prisoners  captured," 

"You  will  oblige  me,  Sir,"  reiterated  the  General,  with  a 
waive  of  the  hand  and  a  this-settles-the-matter-air,  "by  not 
giving  my  name  in  any  newspaper  connection  whatever." 

The  reporter  withdrew,  a  good  deal  amused.  Gen.  Tilghman 
must  have  unique  ideas  on  the  subject  of  journalism  to  suppose 
that  a  lion  of  his  dimensions  would  not  be  catalogued. 


IMPORTANT  INTERVIEW  WITH  LOYAL  INDIANS. 

The  importance  of  the  interview  between  Commissioner  Dole 
and  the  Chiefs  of  the  Seminoles,  Creeks,  lowas  and  Delawares, 
loyal  Indians,  can  hardly  be  over-estimated. 

The  Indians  expressed  great  pleasure  in  seeing  Commisioner 
Dole.  The  Southern  Indians  said  their  people  had  been  driven 
from  home  and  were  suffering. 

Mr.  Dole. — "Government  did  not  expect  the  Indians  to  enter 
this  contest  at  alL  Now  that  the  rebel  portion  of  them  have 
entered  the  field,  the  Great  Father  will  march  his  troops  into 
your  country.  Colonel  Coffin  and  the  Agents  will  go  with  you, 
and  will  assist  you  in  enlisting  your  loyal  men.  Your  enlistment 
is  not  done  for  our  advantage  only;  it  will  inure  to  your  own 
benefit.  The  country  appreciates  your  services.  We  honor  you. 
You  are  in  our  hearts.' 

"One  party  tells  lit  that  John  Ross  is  for  the  Union,  and  one 
that  he  is  not." 

Opothleyolwlo. — "Both  are  probably  right.  Ross  made  a 
sham  treaty  with  Albert  Pike  to  save  trouble.  Ross  is  like  a 
man  lying  on  his  belly,  watching  the  opportunity  to  turn  over. 
When  the  Northern  troops  come  within  hearing  he  will  turn 
over." 

Dole. — "  You  did  not,  and  our  people  remember  you.  But  we 
hope  you  will  manifest  no  revenge." 

Opothleijoliolo. — "The  rebel  Indians  are  like  a  cross,  bad  slut. 
The  best  way  to  end  the  breed  is  to  kill  the  slut." 

Dole. — "The  leaders  and  plotters  of  treason  only  should 
suffer." 

Opoililcyoholo. —  "That's  just  what  I  think.  Burn  over  a  bad 
field  of  grass  and  it  will  spring  up  again.  It  must  be  torn  up 
by  the  roots,  oven  if  some  go)d  blades  suffer.  The  educated 
part  of  our  tribes  is  the  worst.  I  am  glad  General  Lane  is  going 


42  INCIDENTS  OF 

down  with  us.  He  knows  our  wants.  I  hope  the  Government 
money  will  be  paid  us." 

Dole. — "We  can  not  pay  you  until  we  know  who  of  you  are 
Union  and  who  rebel." 

Opothleyoholo. — "  Those  left  back  there  are  not  loyal ;  we 
asked  them  to  fight;  we  asked  them  to  come  up  to  Kansas;  they 
did  neither.  They  didn't  help  us  in  our  time  of  trouble,  and  we 
won't  help  them.  They  turned  against  the  Government  with 
their  eyes  open.  If  we  gain  our  land,  we  should  have  it  and 
they  nothing.  We  have  talked  it  over  among  ourselves,  and 
concluded  not  to  do  any  thing  for  them." 

Dole. — "We  cannot  pay  you  until  all  your  chiefs  are  together, 
or  substitutes  elected,  and  a  council  held." 

Opothleyoholo. — "All  those  left  back  there  are  secesh." 

Dole. — "  I  have  not  the  power  to  use  the  money  except  in  a 
legal  and  regular  way.  We  will  take  care  of  you,  and  the  delay 
in  paying  you  will  be  as  brief  as  possible." 

Opothleyoholo. — The  Creeks  have  fifteen  hundred  warriors 
who  want  to  fight  for  the  Union." 

Aluktustenuke  (Chief  of  the  Seminoles). — "We  have  two 
hundred  and  sixty  warriors,  and  they  will  light  for  the  Great 
Father." 

Major  Burbank  (Agent  of  the  lowas). — There  are  about  fifty 
warriors  in  the  tribe ;  they  want  to  know  on  what  conditions 
they  can  raise  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  if  they  unite  with  the 
Otoes,  who  speak  the  same  language." 

White  Cloud  acted  as  the  interpreter.  "*;. 

Dole. — "The  Great  Father  has  decided  to  accept  your  services 
to  put  down  this  rebellion  in  case  it  is  your  pleasure  to  irivc  your 
services.  You  will  not  be  expected  to  fight  white  men  unless 
they  are  arrayed  against  loyal  Indians.  '  'Iff  will  receive  t  le 
game  pay  as  white  men.  The  Govern  me  nt-'ha.s  not  horses.  The 
red  man  is  said  to  be  fleet  on  foot,  and  i^seeias  to  me  that  you 
ought  to  be  able  to  go  the  same  as  white  men.  We  should  not 
have  called  upon  you  at  all  had  not  your  own  brothers  been 
driven  from  their  homes.  You  go  to  their  assistance,  not  oura." 

Lagarash. — "We  came  down  for  ougj^Jation  to  find,  out  how 
it  was,  and  we  want  to  hear  the  straight.  I  depend  on  uay  Na- 
tion; 1  sit  with  my  ear  open  to  hear  what  they  will  do." 

Dole. — "You  see  before  you  Opoihleyoholo,  who  has  already 
been  fighting  for  the  Union;  now,  what  will  VOAI  do?" 

Lac/arash. — "  I  can  not  tell  what  they  will  ehi;  I  am  ready." 

Maivkee. — "I  only  wait  for  my  neighbors," 

Toirhee. — "It  depends  upon  the  Nation." 

Dole. — "Unless  the  Chiefs  speak  out  the  warriors  will  refuw 
to  do  so.  Will  you  yourselves  urge  your  people  to  act?" 


V 


LIFIT.  45 

LaffcirasJi. — "We  want  to  know  how  long  the  war  is  to  be, 
and  in  what  way  we  are  to  fight  ?" 

Dole. — Not  more  than  twelve  months.  As  to  the  manner  of 
fighting — you  can  all  draw  a  bead  at  two  hundred  yards.  Tour 
way  of  fighting  will  answer  our  purpose." 

Lagarash. — "We  want  to  go  down  there  on  horseback." 

Dole. — '•  We  are  going  to  send  twenty  thousand  white  men  OB 
foot," 

Lagarash. — ."Yes,  that's  the  way  white  men  fight;  Indiana 
don't.  When  we  fight,  we  don't  fight  all  the  time;  we  don't 
want  to  fight  so  long.  1  think  we  can  end  the  war  in  one  battle." 

Dole. — "That  will  suit  us.  You  are  are  a  large,  noble,  and 
brave  set  of  men.  Let  me  hear  you  say  that  you  will  be  brave 
warriors,  whether  others  are  or  not." 

Lagarask. — "I  told  you  that  whatever  my  Father  wanted  me 
to  do  I  would  do." 

Mr.  Dole  arose  and  shook  hands  with  the  Iowa  warrior.  All 
present  arose  with  them,  and  expressed  their  approbation  by 
silent  eloquence. 

Dole. — "When  you  go  home,  tell  your  warriors  to  get  ready, 
and  prepare  to  be  as  brave  as  in  former  times.  We  may  not 
want  you  for  some  time.  Tell  them  that  your  brother  red  men 
have  been  driven  from  their  homos,  and  they  need  your  assist- 
ance. If  only  white  me-n  were  at  war  we  should  not  call  upon 


A  KEEN  PICKET.— ENCOUNTER  OF  WITS. 

At  times,  the  reltelaare  quite  communicative,  as  the  following 
dialogue,  which  osrctirred  at  Yorktown,  between  Jos.  D.,  of 
Leeds,  Wis.,  and  on&.of  the  rebels,  when  within  ten  rods  of  each 
other,  will  show: 

The  parties  were  separated  by  a  low,  deep  swale,  covered 
with  water  and  thick  brush,  and  were  unable  to  discover  each 
other's  person.  Joe,  hearing  a  noise  on  the  other  side,  yelled 
out,  in  a  lo»d  voice: 

'.'Hallo,  Mike !  have  you  got  any  tobaceo ? " 

Secesh — (with  a  strong  Hibernian  accent) — "Yes,  be  jabbers, 
and  whisky,  too." 

Joe. — Come  over  and  we'll  have  a  quiet  smoke." 

"I'll  meet  you  half  way." 

Joe  agreed  to  say  so,  and  advanced  some  distance  through 
brush  and  water,  and  then  stopped. 

Secesh. — "Where  the  divil  are  ye?    Are  ye  comin'  ?" 

Joe. — "I'm  half  way  now.  Can't  go  any  further  without 
»wimmir\g." 


44  INCIDENTS  Of 

Secesh. — "Haven't  ye  a  boat?  ' 

Joe. — "No,  I  have  not." 

£ecesh. — "  Where's  ycr  gunboat?" 

Joe. — "  Down  taking  care  of  the  Merrimac." 

Secesh. — "Then  come  over  in  that -big  balloon," 

[Much  laughter  along  the  rebel  lines.] 

Joe. — "Have  you  a  boat?" 

Secesh. — "1  have,  sure,  and  I'm  coming  over." 

Joe  then  inquires  the  news  of  the  day,  and  if  his  companion 
had  a  Norfolk  Day  Book. 

Secesh. — "I  have.     Have  you  got  a  Tribune?" 

Joe. — "I  have  not." 

Secesh. — Where  ie  Gen.  Buell?" 

Joe. — "  Buell's  all  right,  and  surrounds  BeauregardV" 

Secesh. — "Where's  Gen.  Prentiss?" 

Joe. — "  Where's  Johnston?" 

•^Another  rebel  laugh. J 

Joe. — "How  about  Island  No.  10?" 

Secesh. — "  That's  evacuated." 

Joe. — "How  is  it  that  you  left  100  guns  and  6,000  prisoners?" 

Secesh. — "  Sure,  such  prisoners  are  not  of  much  account." 

/oe.— "How  about  Fort  Pulaski?" 

Secesh. — "That  be  blowed  !  It  was  only  a  rebel  sand  bant. 
But  tell  me  what  made  ye  leave  Bull  Run?" 

Dick  B. — (Union.) — We  had  marching  orders?" 

This  caused  great  laughter  among  the  rebels,  some  exclaiming 
"Bully  Boy!" 

Dick  B.— "Where's  Zollicoffer?" 

Secesh. — "Gone  up  the  spout." 

Joe. — "Why  don't  you  come  over?" 

Secesh. — "Can't  get  through  the  brush." 

At  this  moment  a  rebel  bullet  came  whiezing  over  by  our  men, 
and  Joe  angrily  inquired  who  fired. 

Secesh. — "Some  fool  over  this  way." 

An  order  was  then  issued  to  cease  firing. 

Joe. — "Ain't  you  coming?    What  regiment  do  you  belong  to?" 

Seeesh. — "Eighteenth  Florida.     What  regiment  do  ycu?" 

Joe. — "Berdan's  First  Regiment  Sharpshooters." 

Some  of  his  comrades  here  warned  him  to  look  out. 

Secesh. — "Would  you  shoot  a  fellow?" 

Joe. — "No;  but  I  will  stack  arms  and  smoke  with  you,  if  you 
will  come  over." 

Here  a  rebel  officer  ordered  him  back,  and  the  Secessionist 
refused  to  couraunicate  further. 


. 


LWE.  "51 

into  £he  roa3,  "holding  his  bayonet  in  such  a  way  as  to  threaten 
horse,  negro  and  white  man  at  one  charge,  aad  roared  out: 

"Tickets!" 

•Chivalry  turned  tip  his  lip,  tamed  down  his  brow,  and  by 
other  gestures  indicated  his  contempt  forsoch  "mud  sills"  aa 
the  soldier  before  him,  ending  by  handing  his  pass  over  to  the 
darkie  aad  motioning  him  to  get  out  and  show  it  to  Zoo-Zoo. 

"All  right,"  uaid  the  latter,  glancing  at  it,  "move  on — "  ac- 
companying the  remark  with  a  jerk  at  the  coat  collar  of  the 
colored  person,  which  sent  hiffi  spinning  several  paces  down  the 
road. 

"Now,  sir,  what  do  you  want?"  he  said,  addressing -the  aston- 
4shed  chivalry,  who  had  by  this  time  recovered  his  tongue,  and 
replied : 

"What?    I  want  to  go  on,  of  course.     That  was  my  pass." 

"Can't  help  it,"  replied  Zoo-Zoo;  "it  says  'pass  the  bearer,' 
and  the  bearer  of  it  has  already  passed.  You  can't  get  two 
ffien  through  this  picket  OH  one  man  s  pass.  That's  so." 

Chivalry  reflected  a  moment,  glaeced  at  the  bayonet  1/efore 
him,  and  then  called  out  to  his  black  man  ;to  come  back  Sambo 
approached  captiously,  but  fell  back  in  confusion,  when  the 
shooting-stick  was  brandished  towards  his  own  bosom. 

"  Where's  your  pass,  sir  ?  " 

"  Here,  Massa,"  said  the  chattel,  presenting  the  same  one  he 
4iad  jast  neceived  from  his  master  in  the  carriage. 

"Won't  do,"  replied  the  holder  of  the  bayonet.  "That  passes 
you  to  Fairfax.  Can't  let  any  one  come  from  Fairfax  on  that 
ticket.  Move  on!  "  A  stamp  of  the  foot  sent  Sambo  down  the 
Toad  at  a  hard  gallop. 

"Now,  sir,"  he  said,  addressing  the  representative  of  F.  F.  V~ 
^'if  you  stay  here  any  longer  I'll  tote  yen  np  to  headquarters! ' 

"Chivalry  snatched  his  Iraes,  wheeled  around,  and  went  off  at 
the  best  trot  his  horses  could  make  over  the  sacred  soil,  minus 
his  chattel,  who  is  still,  probably,  a  free  man. 


SECESSION  CRIMES.— A  CURIOUS  DOCUMENT. 

A  civil  war  is  ever  productive  of  heinous  crimes — deeds  that; 
at  other  times  would  mate  the  Hood  run  cold,  and  would  be  too 
terrible  to  be  repeated.  The  following  plot  to  rob  and  murde* 
seems  almost  too  terrible,  even  for  rebels. 

Mr.  Thomas  West,  an  aged  citizen  of  Lewis  County,  Ky.,  was 
found  murdered  a  few  steps  from  the  house  where  he  lived.  At 
first  it  was  thought  that  he  was  murdered  for  his  money  alone> 
Jwit  two  dajs  later  the  following  strange  document  was  fo«ad  o« 


52  INCIDENTS  or 

the  promises  of  one  not  entirely  above  suspicion,  which  show? 
that  three  others  were  to  have  been  murdered  that  day  for  being 
leading  Union  men ;  but  Mr.  West  for  the  double  crime  of  loy- 
alty and  having  money.  In  looking  over  the  circumstances 
attending  Major  Hamrick,  Captain  Brewer,  and  'Squire  Evens, 
on  that  memorable  Sabbath  day,  it  is  pretty  clear  why  they  were- 
not  killed  ;  but  to  give  particulars  would  require  too  much  space. 
The  following  is-  the  paper  found : 
be 


62 
26 
Jun 

brack    must 
&           make 

will 
torn 

at 

knows 

that 

boy 

nothing  bond* 
you         cesn 

The 

buck 

arrangements 

home 

b'y 

must 

eternal 

Funl 

zol 

to 

sqr 

by 

send 

do 

in 

«omes 

and 

fa 

for 

him 

I 

sure 

yours 

•ff 

you 

sqr 

place 

self 

certain  work 

ours 

•and 

place 

and 

good 

be 

meat 

and 

is 

Hoc 

hurs 

old 

a 

shure 

our 

meet 

field" 

mtz 

on 

torn 

be 

to 

is 

us 

the 

mag 

house 

dont 

will 

divide 

cnp 

at 

hell 

i 

tiggars 

fail 

walr 

your 

and 

half 

abes 

cap 

opposite 

to 

bear 

animals  mag 

breads 

to 

B 

ambs 

secure 

the 

so 

for 

and 

removed 

will 

be  in 

the 

about 

that 

work 

then 

are 

pass 

will 

last 

there 

you 

shure 

off 

*Tour 

op 

me 

for 

from 

can 

make 

for 

these 

to 

mtz 

and 
tigar 

our        come 
expense  must 

dog 
then 

day 
all 

Dixey 
if 

TIGAR 

ZOL 
BUCK 
'  BRACK 

This  paper  is  to  be  read  down  and  up,  and  being  interpreted 
reads  as  follows:} 

1862,  26th  of  June. — The  funeral  comes  off  Sunday,  11  o'clock, 
at  Mount  Zion.  Major  Hamrick  and  Captain  Brewer  will  pass 
tip  to  Mount  Zion.  Tigar  and  I  will  be  in  ambnsh,  opposite 
Tigar's  house,  on  the  Hursh  farm.  You  and  Zol,  Buck  and 
Brack,  must  make  arrangements  to  fix  'Squire  Evens  and  old 
Thomas  West.  Do  not  fail  to  secure  the  last,  for  our  expenses 
must  come  from  there.  About  the  Bear  Wallow  will  be  a  good 
place  for  'Squire.  Thomas  West  will  be  at  home  by  himself. 
Be  sure  to  divide  your  men  so  that  you  can  watch  them  all  day. 
Make  sure  work ;  for  Major  and  Captain  are  'our  meat  certain. 
I  send  by  a  boy  that  knows  nothing.  You  must  do  sure  work, 
*ad  meet  us  at  Half  Breed's ;  and  then  off  foj  Dixie.  If  these 


SOLDIER  MPB. 


four  are  removed  to  Abe's  hell,  the  field   is   ours.      Yours  ia 
eternal  Secesh  bonds. 

Signed  by  the  following  fictitious  names  :   Lion,  Tigar,   Zol, 
'Buck,  Brack. 


ANECDOTE  OF  GOVERNOR  TOD. 

During  the  time  that  General  Buekner  and  Staff  were  prison- 
ers at  Camp  Chase,  Governor  Tod  visited  the  camp,  and  was 
received  with  "distinguished  consideration."  He  was  inducted 
into  the  prisons,  and  in  the  Colonel's  peculiarly  pompous  way, 
introduced  to  the  inmates.  The  first  squad  of  prisoners  to  whom 
the  guberuaterial  party  paid  their  respects  happened  to  be  Gen. 
Buckner's  staff.  "  Governor  Tod,"  said  the  Colonel,  and  the 
Buckner  party  stood  with  hat  in  hand.  The  next  party  proved 
to  be  a  rough,  uncouth  band  of  guerrillas.  The  inevitable 
"Governor  Todd"  was  launched  at  them,  and  they,  too,  in  their 
awkward 'way,  manifested  their  respect  for  the  man  who  held  ia 
iiis  hand  the  power  to  release  them  from  their  captivity.  The 
Governor  and  Colonel  proceeded  on  their  way,  followed  by  the 
Buckners,  meeting  others,  and  paying  and  receiving  their 
respects,  until  a  dark  belt  of  contraband*  loomed  up  in  the 
gubernatorial  horizon.  The  darkies  grinned  at  the  distinguished 
introduction,  and  the  distinguished  Buckners  made  rapid  trades 
for  their  quarters  !  The  Governor,  who  relishes  fun,  enjoyed 
*he  seene  hugely. 


REVENGE  INVERSELY. 

A  planter  -came  into  the  camp  of  the  27th  Illinois,  at  theluka, 
and  demanded  two  of  his  boys  who  had  gone  to  work  on  the 
fortifications.  The  Colonel  refused  to  give  them  up,  whereupon 
the  planter  announced  that  he  had  a  large  plantation  eighteen 
aiiles  <ff,  with  cotton  and  negroes,  f.ndnroney  enough  to  support 
a  guerrilla  band  for  a  year,  and  he  would  do  it,  too,  to  be  re- 
venged for  this  wrong.  He  had  hardly  left  camp,  when  one 
hundred  chosen, men,  with  ten  wagons,  were  dispatched  for  the 
plantation,  which  reached  their  destination  about  midnight,  and 
by  daylight  fifty  bales  of  cotton  were  in  the  wagons,  and  fifty- 
three  nagroes,  of  all  ages,  shades  and  sexes,  were  in  line  with 
all  their  duds,  and  the  planter  on  horseback.  This  grand  caval- 
cade reached  luka  about  three  P.  M._The  planter  was  quarto-red 


JJg  TNCIDENTS  OF 

in  the  guard  house,  the  male  negroes  on  the  fortificationa,  and* 
the  women  and  children  as  cooks  in  the  camp,  and  the  cotton  at 
the  depot,  marked  U.  S.  A  few  days,  however,  developed  new 
difficulties.  r.Ehe  regiment  had  to  move;  The  women  could  not 
go  along  with ^eir  babies,  and  the  men  did  not  want  to.  go  and 
leave  their  wivi*  The  old  planter  was,  however,  sent  North, 
the  men  taken  along,  and  most  of  the  women  and  children  sent 
back  to  the  plantation. 


GENERAL  BUTLER  AND  THE  MAYOR  OF  N£W  ORLEANS, 

When  General  Butler  took  possession  of  New  Orleatis>  the- 
•onduct  of  the  women  (those  who  wear  "  purple  and  fine  linen," 
and  are  popularly  supposed  to  be  ladies^)  was-  disgusting,  and 
not  calculated  to  strengthens  one's  faith  in  the  possession  o£ 
common  sense  by  the  sex.  Intrenching  themselves  behind  the 
immunities  which  the  gallantry  of  our  countrymen  has  ever 
accorded  them,  they  insulted  and  sneered  at  our  officers  and  men 
continually,  and  committed  acts  which  would  have  insured  six 
months'  hard  labor  at  the  forts  to  a  man  guilty  of  like  actions. 

General  Butler  soon  after  issued'  his  famous  order  in<  regard1 
to  women,  which  has  been  the  subject  of  much  comment,  both 
in  the  United  States  and  Europe. 

The  Mayor  became  exceedingly  angry,  and  addressed  General 
Butler  a  letter,  in  whic~h  he  said : 

"Your  General  Order  is  of  a  character  so  extraordinary,  that 
I  can  not  suffer  it  to  be  promulgated,,  without  protesting  against 
fche  threat  it  contains,  which  has  already  arroused  the  passions 
of  our  people,  and  must  exasperate  them*  to  a  degree  beyond 
control. 

He  then  went  on  to  say  that  its  phraseology  was  such  that 
officers  and  men  could  pu-t  the  worst  construction  on  it,  and  that 
he  did  not  anticipate  a  war  on  women  and  children. 

To  this  General  Ba-tler  replied: 

"John  L.  Munroe,  late  Mayor  of  the  city,  of  New  Orleans,  in- 
relieved  from  all  responsibility  for  the  peace  of  the  city,  and  is 
suspended  from  the  exercise  of  any  official  functions,  and  com/- 
mitted  to  Fort  Jackson  till  further  orders." 

This  brought  the  Mayor  to  the  General^s  office  in  a  hurry, 
when,  after  an  apology,  the  General  agreed  to  let  him  off,  allow- 
ing him  to  publish  the  offensive  letter  and  apology,  and  add  that 
the  order  applied  only  to  those  wom*>n  who  had  insulted,  by 
word,  look  or  gesture,  tho  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  United 
States  army.  — 

The  Mayor  left,  but  afterward  sent  another  letter,,  the  coun- 


SOLDIEB  LIFE.  55 

terpart  of  the  first;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  May,  in 
company  with  several  of  his  friends,  including  Judge  Kennedy, 
John  McCleflan,  Chief  of  Police,  and  D.  G.  Duncan,  again  de- 
manded the  right  to  witndraw  his  apology.  The  General,  who 
had  in  view  some  treasonable  acts  of  the  Mayor,  as  well  as  his 
conduct  in  regard  to  the  order,  told  him  that  he  had  played  with 
the  United  States  authority  long  enough,  and  must  now  go  to 
Fo<rt  Jackson.  His  friends  sharing  in  his  opinions  were  dis 
patched  thither  also. 


HOW  A  REBEL  WAS  CONVERTED. 

While  Morgan  was  in  Anderson  county,  one  of  his  officers 
rode  about  twenty  miles  in  advance  of  the  command,  in  search 
of  a  good  horse.  Near  Harrodsburgh  he  came  to  a  house,  in 
front  of  which  he  saw  a  blooded  animal  that  just  suited  him. 
it  belonged  to  a  Mr.  Nooks.  The  guerrilla  dismounted  and 
called  upon  the  farmer.  Mr.  Nooks  took  him  on  sight  for  a 
Federal  officer,  and  being  himself  a  "vehement"  rebel,  was  not 
at  all  pleased  with  the  visit. 

"Neighbor,"  said  the  officer,  "I  want  something  to  eat;  I'm 
hungry;  let's  have  something  good." 

"Hain't  got  nuthin'  to  eat!"  was  the  abrupt  reply  of  the 
husbandman. 

"Well,  but  I'm  hungry — must  have  it.  You  don't  want  a  man 
to  starve  here,  do  you  ? '  said  the  Morganite. 

"It's  nuthin'  to  me.  I  don'  care  a  d — n  whether  you  starve  or 
not.  Nobody  asked  you  to  come  here,"  quoth  Mr.  Nooks. 

"You're  so  d — d  sau-cy,  I'll  take  your  horse  that's  here,  and 
leave  you  mine,  while  I  go  somewhere  else  for  my  dinner,"  said 
the  soldier. 

Mr.  Nooks  called  one  of  his  negroes -to  his  assistance.  The 
officer  pulled  a  revolver,  at  the  sight  of  which  the  darkey  com- 
menced a -rapid  retreat,  and  Mr.  Nooks  yielded  a  "tacit  obedi- 
ence." As  the  rebel  mounted  the  thorough-bred,  Mr.  N.  burst 
forth : 

"  Well,  I  hope  to  God  Morgan  will  get  after  you.  I  don't  care 
a  d — n  if  he  gets  the  horse ; "  to  which  the  man  on  horseback 
retorted : 

"  Why,  you  old  fool,  I  belong  to  Morgan's  crowd,"  and  rode  off 
Mr.  Nooks  has  since  been  a  consistent  Union  man.  He  says  he 
iidn't  know  Morgan  was  such  a  thief  before. 


56  INCIDENTS  OP  "^ 

DID  NOT  KNOW  HOW  TO  RETREAT. 

At  the  surrender  of  Munfordsville,  Company  K,  cf  the  74th 
Indiana  had  been  in  the  field  such  a  short  time  that  it  knew 
little  else  than  the  manual  of  arms.  The  Major  in  command  of 
the  pickets,  6f  which  Company  K  was  a  part,  finding  himself 
about  to  be.. surrounded,  ordered  a  retreat;  but  Company  K  did 
not  understand,  and  remained  in  position  fighting.  The  danger 
was  imminent,  and  the  Major  who  was  commanding  them  had 
to  go  through  the  manual  with  Company  K  before  it  could  be 
marched  off.  The  company  cante  to  a  shoulder  arms !  about 
face!  forward!  double-quick!  march  !  and  then  left  the  field  in 
good  order  ! 

"Boys,"  said  a  corporal,  "I'm  willing  to  stand  treat  any  time, 
but  this  retreat  don't  suit  me." 


SINGULAR  INCIDENT. 

A  young  man,  eighteen  years  of  age,  named  Walker  H.  Ilenly, 
determined  to  join  the  rebel  General  Price's  army,  and  accord 
ingly  started  for  the  rebel  camp.  He  had  not  traveled  far,  whe» 
he  was  overtaken  and  made  prisoner  by  his  father,  who  lost  no 
time  in  bringing  his  rebellious  son  to  St.  Louis,  and  consigning 
him  to  the  care  of  the  Provost  Marshal. 


FEDERAL  FERVOR. 

The  above  is  counterbalanced  by  the  earnest  devotion  of  I 
Union  soldier,  who,  taking  his  leave  to  join  the  army,  I  sai<J,  t« 
him: 

"Are  you  not  afraid  you  will  get  killed?" 

"No,"  said  he.  "When  I  made  up  my  mind  to  go  into  tht 
army,  I  offered  my  life  in  sacrifice  to  God  and  my  country.  1 
have  given  it  up,  and  it  matters  not  to  me  whether  I  die  to-daj 
or  to-morrow;  on  the  battle-field,  in  my  tent,  or  in  my  bed;  mj 
life  is  my  God's  and  my  country's — no  longer  my  own." 

This  is  the  spirit  that  prompted  the  brave  sons  of  the  North 
to  strike  for  home  and  liberty. 


THE  ATMOSPHERE  CREATED  BY  A  BULLET. 

The  enemy  were  most  splendidly  armed  with  Enfield  and 
Minnie  rifles,  throwing  balls  of  English  manufacture,  with  the 
box-wood  plug  in  the  base.  The  passage  of  these  balls  close  to 


SOLDIER   LIFB  57 

one's  head,  is  followed  by  the  most  infernal  hissing  sound  it  is 
possible  to  imagine.  Sometimes  they  seem  to  be  endowed  with 
vitality,  and  possessed  of  the  most  fiendish  spirit  of  vindictive- 
ness.  Then  again  they  remind  you  of  geese  following  you  in 
the  road — not  dangerous,  but  exasperating. 

But  the  most  singular  thing  is  the  effect  of  these  balls  upon 
the  atmosphere  through  which  they  pass.  The  passage  of  one 
immediately  across  your  face,  is  followed  by  a  momentary  sen- 
sation of  deathly  sickness.  The  air  seems  thick,  stifling  and 
putrid,  like  that  of  a  newly-opened  vault,  accompanied  by  ar 
odor  of  certain  kinds  of  fungi  found  in  the  woods. 


LETTER  FROM  A  COWARD. 

Colonel  Rodney  Mason  was  accused  of  cowardice  in  surren- 
dering his  command  at  Clarksville,  and  when  the  affair  was 
commented  on  in  the  Cincinnati  Gazette,  that  paper  received 
the  following  spicy  epistle: 

MR.  EDITOR: — I  see  in  your  paper  of  yesterday  that  you  are 
trying  to  run  down  the  71st  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteers  now 
you  lieing  Devil  if  you  don't  quit  publishing  false  hoods  you  had 
better,  you  was  not  with  us  at  Shiloh  ner  at  Clarksvill  and  how 
do  you  know?  by  your  lieing  inferments  and  that  fellow  who 
told  you  that  the  Rebils  had  no  artillery  and  only  three  or  four 

hundred  men  —  is  another  lieing  wAelp 1  think  you  had 

better  turn  out  and  go  to  war  and  see  how  brave  you  woul  be 

ah !  !  you  are  to  big  a  coward,  you  can  stay  at  home  and 

blab  fibout  those  that  have  gone,  you  cowardly  lieing  pwp.  dont 
say  any  thing  more  about  the  71st  now  we  haint  all  dead  yet — • 

Col  Mason  done  his  duty  at  Shiloh  and  acted  right  at  Clarks- 
vill and  he  is  a  man,  our  boys  all  likes  him  and  if  he  is  dismissed 
from  Service  they  will  go  to.  col  Mason  is  a  brave  man  but 
disgraced  for  the  deeds  of  which  are  praise  worthy  and  you  have 
uo  more  sense  than  to  run  us  down  and  publish  us.  now  let  the 
71st  rest,  dont  say  any  thing  more  about  us.  we  have  done 
our  duty  and  are  willing  to  do  it  still,  but  i  would  like  to  know  if 
you  are  a  union  Man. 


MAJOR   WHALEY'S  ADVENTURES. 

Among  the  prisoners  captured  atGuyandotte  was  Major  Whaley. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  invent  a  piece  of  fiction  to  surpass,  in  tha 


53  INCIDENTS  OF 

strangeness  of  its  details,  his  escape  from  the  rebels.  The  first 
day  they  marched  forty  miles,  with  nothing  at  all  to  eat.  Many 
of  the  prisoners  fainted,  and  Major  Whaley  begged  his  captors 
to  take  him  and  his  comrades  out  into  the  woods  and  shoot  them. 
The  next  day  the  rebels  heard  that  Col.  Zeigler  had  killed  sev- 
eral secessionists  in  Cuyandotte.  This  so  enraged  them  that 
they  rushed  upon  Whaley  and  his  men,  crying: 

"Kill  the  d — d  abolition  cusses!  " 

But  Col.  Clark,  who  had  some  show  of  honor,  interrupted. 

"Shame  on  you,  you  cowardly  whelps!"  he  exclaimed; 
"would  you  murder  defenseless  men?  The  first  man  who  offers 
violene»  to  these  prisoners,  it  shall  he  the  last  of  him.  Do  you 
hear?  I'll  cleave  him  in  two!" 

The  men  slunk  away  and  attempted  no  further  violence,  though 
they  took  the  opportunity,  in  the  Colonel's  absence,  to  heap  upon 
the  prisoners  every  indignity. 

The  next  day  they  marched  a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  Here 
the  cavalry  separated  and  moved  in  different  directions,  leaving 
Major  Whaley  in  charge  of  Captain  Wicher.  When  night  came, 
the  Major,  after  hanging  up  his  coat  and  hat  by  the  fire  to  dry, 
went  to  bed  in  another  room  with  Capt.  Wicher.  In  this  room 
there  were  eight  men,  one  of  whom  acted  as  guard.  About  3 
o'clock  in  the  morning  Whaley  awoke,  and  finding  the  guard 
nodding  in  front  of  the  fire,  and  all  the  rest  in  deep  slumber,  de- 
termined to  effect  his  escape.  Leaving  his  bed  as  quietly  as 
possible,  he  approached  the  guard,  and,  ascertaining  that  he  was 
asleep,  secured  Captain  Wiener's  hat,  took  his  own  shoes  in  his 
hand,  and,  seeing  all  clear  outside,  ran  with  all  his  might  about- 
two  hundred  yards  down  the  Guyaudotte  river.  Here  he  put  on 
his  shoes,  and  looked  about  for  some  drift  wood  upon  which  to 
cross  the  stream;  but  finding  none,  concluded  to  swim  the  river, 
which  he  did  wiih  considerable  ease;  but  it  was  excessively  cold, 
and  his  clothes  nearly  froze  to  him,  and  he  Av;is  compelled  to 
keep  up  a  violent  exercise  to  keep  from  being  chilled  to  death. 
He  then  proceeded  down  the  river  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  and 
commenced  to  ascend  a  mountain,  the  summit  of  which  he  reach- 
ed at  daybreak,  and  just  as  Wicher  was  firing  his  guns  as  a  sig- 
nal of  the  escape.  The  firing  was  answered  from  all  directions; 
Major  Whaley,  who  knew  it  would  be  fatal  to  attempt  to  travel 
in  daylight,  sought  a  thicket  of  red  oak  brush,  in  which  he  found 
a  sort  of  a  path. 

To  and  fro  over  this  path  he  walked  all  day.  A  bleak  wind 
was  blowing,  and  being  wet  through,  and  having  no  coat,  he  was 
compelled  to  walk  rapidly  in  order  to  save  himself  from  p&rish- 
ing  with  cold. 

When  night  came  he  started  down  the  Guyandotte  Valley, 
tracing  the  foot  of  the  hills,  a  distance  of  two  miles,  wh'en  he 

c 


3©fiDrEll  LITE. 


59- 


cum-e  upon  a  carap  of  about  one  hundred  cavalry;  and  knowing 
it  would  be  folly  to  attempt  to- puss,  retreated  again  to  the  moun- 
tains. The  next  day  be  took  a  circuit  upon  the  top-  of  the  hills, 
to  try  and  trace  the  valley  and  keep  off  the  river,  which  he  supr 
posed  would  be  guarded 

At  last  he  came  upon  Jbiart's  Creefc,  and,  supposing  himself  to. 
fo/3  near  a  Union  settlement,  inquired  of  an.  old  lady.  One  of 
kec  sons  offered  to  show  him.  the  way  to  Kyer's  creek  for  t\vo> 
dollars;  and,  when,  they  started,  another  started  also,,  and  went? 
in  another  direction.  .The-  manne-r  in  which  this  was  done  ex- 
cited the  Major's  suspicion.  When  they  arrived  at  the  creek,  he- 
•was  not  able  to  pay  his  guide,  but  he  gave  him  all  the  money  he- 
had — twenty-five  cents — and  a  new  pair  of  soldier's  shoes,  taking 
in)  exchange  the  guide's  old  moccasins.  The  Major  then  hurried 
down  the  creek  as  fast  as-  possible-,  but  hi*l  net  gone-  far  before- 
he  heard  the  tramp  of  cavalry,  and  he  had  barely  time  to  jump, 
a  fence  and  secrete  himself,  before  the  horsemen  dashed  along, 
within  six  feet  of  where-  he  lay,  headed  by  the  suspicious  char- 
acter before  mentioned,  but  he  escaped  their  observation. 

The  Major  had  now  been  three  days  without  eating,  and,  dis- 
covering a  house  near  by,  he  concluded  he  would  venture  the- 
consequences  and  go  in.  He  had  no  arms,  and  did  not  deem  ib 
safe  to  approach  without  them.  Here  was  a  dilemma ;  but  food 
he' must  have,  and  he  felt  that  he  might  as  well  die  in  the  at- 
tempt to  get  it,  as  to  dsie  for  the  want  of  it;  sor  taking  a  boulder 
in.  each  hand,  he  knocked  at  the  door.  Fortunately,  the  owner 
was  a  Union  i»an  — like  many  others  of  the  Western  Virginia 
stamp — and  knew  him  at  a  glance.  The  Major  told  his  case. 

"1  am  sorry,  Major,"  said  the  man,  "that  I  can  da  nothing 
for  you.  My  neighbors  are  all  rebels  of  the  deepest  dye,  and. 
if  it  should  be  known  that  1  had  helped  a  Liucoluite,  myself 
and  family  would  be  demolished  instantor." 

"But  can't  you  give  ioe  something  to  eatf  and  a  blanket?' 
said  the  Major. 

"There's  a  rebel,  now! "  said  the  man,  and  pointed  to.  a  rebel 
ioldier,  who  was  approaching  the  house.  "Here!  quick!  take- 
this  blanket,'  slip  out  of  the  back  door,  and  run  for  your  life,  and 
don't  let  him  see  you." 

The  Major  did  as  he  was  bid,  and  fortunately  escaped  without 
being  noticed ;  and  he  thus  plodded  on  through  a  hot  rebel  re- 
gion, skulking  and  hiding  here  and  there,  till,  w«aried  and  worn 
out,,  he  at  last  arrived  safely  at  a  Union  camp. 


REBEL  VOLUNTEERS. 

After  the  battle  of  Bull  Kun  No.  2,  a  rebel  soldier  who  had 
received  a  frightful  wound,,  was  taken  to  the  depct  of  Hooker's 


QQ  INCIDENTS  OF 

w<  unded.  Whiie  his  wound  was  b«iag  dressed,  he  was  asked  if 
be  owned  any  slaves. 

"No,"  he  answered. 

u  What,  then,  are  you  fightiug  for?" 

'•Well,  I  suppose  we  are  fighting  for  those  who  do  own  them." 

"What  ca«  it  benefit  you  thea?" 

"It  is  no  benefit  to  us  sure,  for  these  very  uaen  would  kick  us 
«ut  of  their  houses,  if  we  should  attempt  to  equalize." 

"O,  that's  very  well  for  you  to  say,  now  that  you  are  wounded 
and  a  prisoner;  but  what  did  you  volunteer  for?"  said  a  by- 
etander. 

'•Yes,  I  did  volunteer;  and  who  wouldn't?  Who  would  wan-t 
to  wait  to  be  drafted,  and  then  be  called  a  coward?" 

"But  you  might  not  have  been  drafted." 

"It's  a  slim  chance  of  escape,"  replied  the  soldier.  "They'll 
sll  have  to  go  jet" 


A. ZOUAVE  JOKE. 

A.  New  York  Zouave,  in  one  of  his  scouting  expeditions,  cap- 
tured a  very  fine  horse.  In  a  few  days  the  owner  came  into 
eamp  and  claimed  the  animal. 

"The  critter's  confiscated,"  said  Zoo-Zoo. 

"But  I'm  not  a  rebel,"  said  the  man.  "I'm  Union,  and  the 
Government  protects  my  property." 

"  Ya-as,"  drawled  the  Zouave,  "I  wouldn't  give  much  for  you 
tcyal  rebel's  Union  sentiment.  It's  too  elastic." 

"But  I've  taken  the  oath,"  persisted  the  man. 

"Can't  help  if  you  have,"  replied  Zoo-Zoo  coolly,  "the  horsa 
hain't,  and  I  can't  release  him  ! " 

The  rebel  never  got  his  horse. 


A  SLAVE  OFFERS  A  REWARD  FOR  HIS  MASThR. 

There  was,  in  the  Federal  camp,  a  shrewd,  witty  darkie,  who 
formerly  belonged  to  a  Wm.  Duncan,  of  the  rebel  army.  This 
negro  could  read  and  write,  in  fact,  was  a  very  well  educated  man. 
Some  of  the  Kentuckians  who  had  lost  several  slaves,  had  posted 
up  around  the  encampment,  "One  hundred  dollars  reward.  Han 
away  from  the  subscriber,  my  man  Bob,"  etc. 

Jim  Duncan,  as  the  boys  called  him,  soon  after  issued  the 
following,  and  placed  it  beside  the  other  advertisements; 


LIFE.  QT| 

"50>  CENTS  REWARD. 

"Ran  away  from  dis  chile,  an'  leff  him  all  alone  to  take  cars 
erf  hisself  after  I  done  worked  twenty-six  years  faithfully  for  himy 
"MY  MASSA,  'BiLr,  DtrxcAjf/ 

"  Massa  Bill  is  supposed  to  have  done  gone  off  wid  de  secesh- 
ers,  for  to  hunt  for  his  rights,  and  I  speck  he  done  got  lost, 
Any  pusson  turnin'  him  to  me,  so  dat  he  can  take  care  of  me — 
AS  he  allers  said  'Jfigger'  couldn't  take  care  of  hisself — will  be- 
much  obliged  to  dis  chile. 

N.  B. — Pussons  hantinr  for  him  please  look  in  all  de  '  last 
ditches,'  as  I  often  heerd  him  talk  about  goin'  into  de  diein' 
business.  "  Spectfufly  submitted,.  JIM." 

This  "poster"  created  a  great  deal  of  merriment  in  camp> 
while  the  Kentucky  residents  who  came  across-  it,  thought  Jim  ;»• 
''mighty  sassy  nigger." 


LATE  CONTRABAND  NEWS: 

When  the  United  States  vessels  were  on  their  way  to  attack 
Fernandina,  they  picked  up  a  contraband  who  hacl  ventured  to 
»ea  in  a  small  boat,  to  notify  them  that  the  rebels  were  deserting 
the  place.  While  questioning  the  black,  some  of  the  officers  of 
the  Alabama  remarked  that  he  should  have  brought  them  news- 
papers to  let  them  know  what  was  going  on. 

"I  thought  of  dat,"  replied  the  contraband,  "and  fotched  a 
Charleston  paper  wid  me." 

With  this  he  put  his  hand  in  his  bosom  and  Drought  forth  a 
paper,  and,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  was  rendering  an  import- 
ant service,  handed  it  to  the  circle  of  inquirers.  They  grasped 
it  eagerly,  but  one  glance  induced  a  general  burst  of  laughter,  to 
the  profound1  astonishment  of  poor  Cuffee,  who  it  seems  could 
not  read,  and  imagining  that  one  paper  was  as  good  as  another 
had  brought  one  dated  1822.  It  is  a  little  odd  that  this  paper 
which  has  floated  so  long  down  the  stream  of  time,  contains  an 
article  in  favor  of  negro  emancipation. 


A  GOOD  JOKE  ON  THE  WAR  POLICY. 

During  Pope's  campaign  in  Virginia,  the  War  Department  one 
day  sent  to  General  Kipley,  Chief  of  the  Ordnance  Department^ 
for  his  estimate  of  the  prc^*?  quantity  of  ft  certain  kind  of  am- 


TOCIWENTS  0F 


munition  to  be  ordered.  The  General  gave  £ho  figures,  whlcli 
were  very  large,  aad  -the  messenger  had  reached  the  door  to 
depart,  when  he  called  him  back  with  "Of  course  yju  will 
•double  those  estimates,  as  we  have  to  furnish  both  sides  now." 


KISSED  THE  WRONG  CHAP. 

A  rebel  soldier  tells  the  following  queer  story  : 

Not  long  since  a  lot  ef  HS — -I  am  H.  P.,  high  private  »ow — 
wer<?  quartered  in  several  wooden  tenements,  and  in  tht>  inner 
room  -ef  oae  lay  the  corpus  of  a  young  secesh  officer,  awaiting 
burial. 

The  news  soon  spread  to  a  village  not  far  off.  Down  came 
tearing  a  sentimental,  and  Hot  bad  looking  specimen  of  a  Virginia 
•dame. 

"Let  me  kiss  him  for  his  mother!"  she  cried,  as  I  interrupted 
her  progress.  "Do  let  me  kiss  him  for  his  mother!" 

"Kiss  whom  ?" 

"The  dear  llt&e  lieutenant;  the  one  who  lies  dead  within. 
Point  him  out  to  me,  sir,  if  y«a  please.  I  never  saw  him, 
tut  —  oh!" 

I  led  her  through  a  room  in  which  a  Union  prisoner,  a  lieu- 
tenant, from  Philadelphia,  lay  stretched  -oat  on  an  upturned 
trough  fast  asleep.  Supposing  Iriin  to  be  the  "article"  sough* 
for,  she  rushed  up,  exclaiming:  "  Let  me  kiss  him  for  his  mother," 
approached  her  lips  to  his  forehead.  What  was  her  amazement 
when  the  "corpse"  ardently  clasped  its  arms  around  her,  re- 
turned the  salute  vigorously,  and  exclaimed: 

"Never  mind  the  eld  lady,  Miss;  go  it  on  your  own  account 
I  havn't  the  slightest  objection." 


ADVENTURES  OF  A  REBEL  EMISSARY, 

One  day  a  man,  dressed  in  well-worn  working  clothes,  presented 
himself  to  the  United  States  Provost  Marshal  on  the  United 
States  side  of  the  Suspension  Bridge.  He  wore  a  pair  of  very 
short  trousers  of  striped  Kentucky  jean,  and  a  seedy  coat  of  the 
same  material.  A  coarse,  not  over-clean  shirt,  and  a  jagged 
•straw  hat,  completed  the  costume.  The  man  had  no  collar  nor 
cravac,  and  his  face  was  apparently  greatly  tanned  by  exposure 
to  the  weather. 

He  wanted  to  go  over  the  river,  he  said,  but  had  no  pass  and 
4id  not  know  that  any  would  be  Heeded,  He  stated  that  he  was 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  $3 

an  Englishman  from  Cornwall,  and  a  miner  by  trade.  He  had 
been  working  for  some  time  in  Pennsylvania,  but  had  lately  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  his  brother,  a  farmer  near  London,  Canada 
West,  stating  that  he  was  shortof  help,  and  requesting  his  miner 
relative  to  come  on  to  his  assistance,  at  least  till  the  harvest  time 
was  over. 

The  miner  held  his  tools  in  one  hand,  and  in  the  other  carried 
an  old  carpet  bag  of  the  black  glazed  style  in  common  use.  The 
glazing,  in  many  places,  was  come  off.  and  the  outside  was, 
moreover,  spotted  and  soiled  with  dirt. 

This  carpet  bag  was  more  valuable  than  the  famous  one  of 
John  Brown ;  for  it  contained  the  papers,  dispatches  and  money 
of  the  rebel  emissary  Sanders. 

The  Marshal  pondered  a  while,  but  the  poor  miner  gave  such 
a  consistent  story,  and  seemed  so  disappointed  at  his  unexpected 
trouble  in  crossing,  that  the  official's  heart  was  melted,  and  he 
gave  him  the  required  pass. 

The  toll-man  of  the  .Suspension  Bridge  then  demanded  a  quar- 
ter of  a  dollar  toll. 

"Two  shillings,"  said  the  miner,  "why,  I  can't  give  it.  I've 
only  got  one  shilling." 

The  plea  of  poverty  completely  disarmed  whatever  shadow  of 
suspicion  may  have  existed  in  regard  to  the  poor  workman; 
after  the  proper  degree  of  hesitation,  the  "fellow"  was  allowed 
to  pass  over  at  half  price. 

Thanking  the  toll  keeper  for  his  liberality,  the  miner  walked 
on  wearily  across  the  bridge.  As  he  neared  the  Canada  side  his 
step  became  lighter— just  as  Christian  (pardon  the  comparison) 
felt  when  the  burden  dropped  off  his  back.  A  decided  burden 
had  dropped  off  af  George  N.  Sanders'  mind — he  was  safe  in 
Canada. 

Arriving  at  the  Canada  side  of  the  bridge,  the  miner,  with  his 
tools  and  carpet-bag,  jumped  into  the  Clifton  House  omnibus  and 
was  quickly  driven  to  that  hotel.  He  went  to  the  desk  and  reg- 
istered on  the  book  the  initials  S.  N.  G.,  his  own  initials  reversed. 

The  clerk  looked  at  the  shabby  working  man  a  moment,  and 
then  coldly  said : 

"We  can't  give  you  a  room  here,  sir." 

"But  I  must  have  a  room,"  said  Sanders. 

"None  to  spare  to-night,"  replied  the  clerk. 

The  miner  thrust  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  drew  forth  a  great 
roJl  of  "green-backs." 

"Here,"  said  he  to  the  clerk,  "take  these  as  security.  Put 
them  in  your  safe;  but  give  me  .a  room  at  once." 

Of  course  money  has  its  effect  in  Clifton  House,  as  everywhere 
else.  Still  the  clerk  hesitated. 


64  INCIDENTS  OF 

"Is  there  any  place  about  here  where  i  can  get  a  respectable 
suit  of  clothes?"  askel  the  miner,  dropping  his  Cornish  dialect. 

There  was  no  place  nearer  than  the  bridge,  a  mile  distant;  so 
the  miner  again  insisted  on  having  the  room,  and,  as  it  was  ob- 
vious that  "things  were  not  as  they  seem,"  he  was  shown  to  a 
suitable  apartment. 

A  few  minutes  afterwards  a  guest  strolled  out  on  the  piazza, 
•where  ex-Governor  Morehead,  of  Kentucky,  was  sitting. 

"By  the  way,  Governor,"  said  he,  "what  a  singular  old  fel- 
low that  was  in  the  office.  He  registered  his  name  on  the  book 
only  in  initials." 

"Good  God!  in  initials!"  cried  Morehead,  starting  up;  "he's 
come  then;"  and,  rushing  past  the  astonished  guest,  he  demanded 
to  be  shown  to  the  room  of  the  mysterious  S.  N.  G. 

Other  secessionists  also  hastened  thither.  Sanders  was  pro- 
vided with  a  suit  of  clothes  at  once ;  the  clerks  and  servants  al- 
tered their  deportment  to  the  quondam  miner,  and  the  guests 
had  a  rare  piece  of  eossip  to  talk  about.  Sanders'  trick  was 
a  capital  success;  and,  whatever  is  thought  of  him  or  his  cause, 
it  is  generally  acknowledged  that  his  journey  from  Richmond  to 
Canada  is  one  of  the  "cutest"  specimens  of  rebel  'strategy"  the 
war  has  produced.  It  shows  that  our  blockade  is  so  stringent 
that  a  rebel  emissary  prefers  a  long  land  journey  in  disguise  to 
attempting  to  break  it. 

Of  course,  the  adventure  was  the  chief  topic  of  gossip  in  the 
Niagara  hotels ;  and  miners  will  henceforth  be  viewed  with  a 
very  profound  suspicion  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Suspension 
Bridge. 


A  COMICAL  MUSIC   BAND. 

A  very  amusing  anecdote  is  told  of  the  Cumberland  Gap  army 
on  its  retreat  through  Kentucky,  which  deserves  to  stand  beside 
Lever's  story  of  Major  O'Shaug-hnessyand  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton. 

After  the  army  had  been  out  from  the  Gap  three  or  four  days, 
it  was  found  utterly  impossible  to  subsist  the  men  without  for- 
aging, and  in  consequence  the  country  along  the  road  was  laid 
under  contribution  for  all  the  eatables  that  could  be  found.  Of 
course  everything  was  paid  for  as  far  as  possible,  but  the  neces- 
sity of  letting  each  soldier  be  his  own  commissary  made  sad 
havoc  with  discipline  for  the  time.  One  morning,  after  the  boys 
in  DeCourcey's  brigade  had  been  foraging  about  with  such  suc- 
cess that  nearly  every  one  had  a  chicken,  duck,  goose  or  pig  in 
hia  hand,  they  approached  a  considerable  town,  through  which 


SOLDIER  LIFJI.  05 

the  commander  desired  them  to  pass  in  as  imposing  a  manner 
as  possible.  He  ordered  tho  band  to  the  head  of  the  column, 
arms  to  the  "shoulder,"  the  easy  route  step  changed  to  the  prim 
parade  step,  and  got  all  ready  for  an  impressive  military  display. 
But  the  boys  didn't  fancy  being  put  on  their  good  behavior  with 
such  dirty  old  rags  as  they  had  on,  and  determined  that  they 
as  well  as  the  colonel  would  have  their  fun  out  of  the  thing.  So, 
when  the  band  struck  up  ''Hail  Columbia/'  and  the  notes  came 
echoing  down  the  line,  the  colonel's  ears  were  astonished  with 
a  horrible  chorus  of  squawks,  squeaks  and  cackles,  enough  to 
drown  the  roar  of  a  twelve  pounder.  Every  man  had  turned 
his  duck,  pig  or  chicken  into  a  private  concert  for  his  own  en- 
joyment, by  means  of  judicious  pinches  and  punches,  and,  as 
far  as  the  ear  could  hear,  the  uproar  of  a  thousand  barnyards 
broke  loose,  swelled  up  as  the  companies  came  along.  Such  an- 
other parade  was  never  seen  on  the  face  of  tha  earth  before. 
The  colonel  relished  the  joke  exceedingly,  .and  suffjjv.1  tho  con- 
cert to  continue  till  they  were  well  out  of  the  town. 


WOULDN'T  RESIGN. 

A  Rev.  Mr.  Brush  was  appointed  Colon 3!  of  the  38th  Iowa. 
His  upopularity  with  his  men  was  so  great,  that  Governor  Kirk- 
wood  visited  Dubuque  to  persuade  him  to  resign. 

Colonel  Brush,  with  all  the  line  officers,  came  trooping  down 
to  the  hotel,  and  were  immediately  favored  with  an  audience  by 
the  Governor. 

Every  line  officer,  with  the  utmost  solemnity,  protested  that 
he  did  not  desire  to  serve  under  Brush  in  any  form ;  that  none 
of  them  had  any  confidence  in  him,  and  that  he  should,  in  honor 
— having  thus  lost  the  respect  of  all  his  officers — resign.  This 
they  said,  ranged  in  line,  and  confronting  the  Colonel. 

The  Colonel  declared,  in  response,  that  the  whole  trouble  arose 
out  of  the  fact,  that  he  declined  to  appoint  the  brother  of  Post- 
master David,  Adjutant  of  his  Regiment,  and  on  account  of  some 
difficulty  in  the  selection  of  Sutler.  That,  and  only  that,  was 
the  occasion  of  the  feeling.  The  following  colloquy  then  took 
place: 

Governor. — I  do  not  see,  Colonel,  with  such  a  feeling  exist 
ing,  how  you  can,  with  pleasure  or  profit,  hold  your  present 
position.  I  would  advise  you  to  resign. 

Col.  Brush. — When  there  shall  be  proper   charges  brought 
against  me  in  the  manner  specified,  I  will,  il*  found  guilty,  suffer 
the  penalty,  but  shall  not  resign. 
5" 


flj  INCIDENTS  OF 

Governor. — But  these  men  declare  you  are  inexperienced 
and  incompetent. 

Col.  Brush. — If  that  is  an  objection  of  so  grave  a  nature,  it 
is  one  which  would  lead  almost  every  Iowa  officer  to  resign.  I 
am  not  the  only  Colonel  you  have  appointed,  Governor,  who  is 
inexperienced,  and  may  he  incompetent. 

Governor. — Well,  Colonel,  1  had  rather  trundle  a  wheelbar- 
row for  a  living  than  hold  your  position  under  the  circumstances. 

Col.  Brush. — Very  likely,  Governor,  but  I  had  rather  be 
Colonel. 

Governor. — Then  you  refuse  to  resign  ? 

Col.  Brush. — Yes.  If  you  have  any  way  you  can  deprive 
me  of  my  commission,  and  desire  to  do  so,  why,  do  it,  that  is  all; 
but  I  fail  to  find  any  process  by  which  such  a  case  can  be 
reached,  except  by  a  court-martial.  Of  course,  1  am  open  to 
that. 

Governor. —  Well,  it  is  of  no  use,  gentlemen. 

Upon  which  all  took  their  leave.  It  was  a  rich  scene ;  the 
Governor  a  little  excited,  the  Colonel  as  cool  and  imperturbable 
as  an  eight  day  clock. 


A  SAD  BLUNDER. 

Military  commanders  have  been  guilty  of  many  blunders,  and 
this  is  one  of  them  : 

During  the  battles  on  the  Potomac,  the  3rd  Michigan  went 
into  the  battta  with  two  hundred  and  ninety  men,  and  came  out 
with  only  one  hundred  and  forty-six,  and  more  than  three-fourths 
©f  this  number  met  their  fate  by  the  fire  of  the  20th  Indiana 
reghnent,  which  lapped  over  their  rear  and  poured  a  galling  fire 
into  them  while  on  the  advance.  The  first  knowledge  which  the 
Michigan  boys  had  of  the  presence  of  the  other  regiment,  was 
the  bullets  in  the  back  of  their  heads,  arms,  etc.,  nearly  half 
of  the  regiment  having  lapped  across  them. 

Sad  must  be  the  sorrow  of  those  whose  friends  fall  —  not  in 
their  country's  cause — but  through  the  carelessness  of  her  com- 
manders. 


CLOSE  SHOOTING. 

At  th«?  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  the  enemy  posted  a  number  of 
sharpshooters  in  trees,  and  when  the  Excelsior  Brigade  drovf 
off  the  rebels  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  some  of  these  fellow* 


W2DIXB  LirB.  67 

were  left.  One  of  them  was  espied  by  one  of  ib/e  Excelsiors, 
and  as  the  discovery  was  mutual,  each  drew  sight  OB  his  oppo- 
nent. The  rebel  fired  first,  his  bullet  whizzing  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  Union  soldier,  and  then  dropping  his  gun,  exclaimed: 

<l  Hold  on!    I  surrender." 

He  spoke  too  late.  The  xleliberate  nrusltet  of  the  Yankee 
was  pointing  death  at  the  trembling  rebel.  The  trigger  was 
already  pulled,  and  the  next  instant  a  minnie  ball  crashed 
through  his  brain,  and  he  fell  through  the  branches  a  mangled 
corpse.  Said  one  of  our  wounded  who  was  lying  near  at  the 
time  and  described  the  scene: 

"It  was  terrible  to  see  him  drop." 


HAIR  BREADTH  ESCAPES. 

At  the  battle  of  Antietam,  a  Vermont  soldier  got  strayed  away 
from  his  regiment,  and  finding  it  impossible  to  return,  concluded 
to  fisrbt  on  his  own  hook.  Happening  to  see  a  hollow  stump,  he 
pot  inside,  and  in  that  position  tired  ninety  shots,  part  of  which 
he  gathered  from  the  dead  soldiers  around  him.  During  this 
time  the  balls  whistled  about  bis  fortification,  as  he  descrrbed  it, 
"like  a  nor'  wester  round  a  log  barn,"  several  of  them  striking 
the  stump.  At  last  a  shell  exploded  over  his  head,  a  piece  of 
which  fell  inside  the  stump.  Thinking  it  rather  hot  he  evacuated 
his  tort,  and  before  he  had  gone  ten  steps  another  shell  fell  in  the 
very  spot  he  had  left,  tearing  the  stamp  into  shivers. 

One  of  the  Texas  soldiers  was  advancing  with  his  bayonet 
upon  a  Lieutenant  of  the  9th  Iowa,  whose  sword  had  been 
broken.  The  officer  saw  his  intention,  avoided  the  thrust,  fell 
down  at  his  foeman's  feet,  caught  hold  of  his  legs,  threw  him 
heavily  to  the  ground,  and  before  he  could  rise  drew  a  long  knife 
from  bis  adversary's  belt  and  buried  it  in  his  bosom. 

The  Texan,  with  dying  grasp,  seized  the  'Lieutenant  by  the 
hair,  and  sank  down  lifeless,  bathing  the  brown  leaves  with  his 
blood.  So  firm  was  the  hold  of  the  nerveless  hand,  that  it  was 
necessary  to  cut  the  hair  from  the  head  of  the  officer  before  he 
conld  be  freed  from  the  corpse  of  his  foe. 

Among  the  phenomena  of  the  fight  was  the  condition  of  the 
uniform  of  Captain  Bennett.  It  had  eight  bullet  holes  in  it 
One  through  the  collar  of  his  coat,  one  through  the  riirbt  coat 
sleeve,  one  through  his  pantaloons  below  the  left  knee,  on« 
through  both  pantaloons  and  drawers  above  the  right  knee,  and 
through  the  skirts  of  his  coat.  There  was  not  a  scratch  oa  this 
man  s  skin. 


68  INCIDENTS  OF 

A  soldier  came  suddenly  upon  a  number  of  the  en^my,  who 
fired  at  him.  Suddenly  retreating,  his  knapsack,  belt,  indeed 
his  entire  "traps,"  were  shot  away,  but  he  got  off  without  a 
wound. 

Corporal  Springer,  of  the  13th  Indiana,  whom  Colonel  Wilder 
says  is  the  best  soldier  he  ever  saw  in  danger,  had  charge  of  the 
rifled  gun  near  the  stockade.  He  would  jump  on  the  parapet  to 
see  the  effect  of  his  shots,  amidst  a  hail  storm  of  balls.  He  saw 
Bragg  and  Bucknerand  staffs,  riding  a  mile  distant,  and  fired  at 
them.  Buckner  afterward  inquired  after  Springer,  and  stated 
that  the  first  of  his  two  shells  struck  within  thirty  feet,  and  the 
second  passed  within  four  feet  of  hia  head  without  exploding. 

At  Mountain  Run,  a  small  branch  which  joins  the  Kappahan- 
nock,  a  Federal  battery  of  six  pieces  commenced  to  throw  shells 
by  way  of  diversion,  but  were  promptly  engaged  by  the  Donald- 
son ville  battery  (Louisiana),  Capt.  Mora,  and  soon  after  retired. 
In  this  affair  General  Roger  A.  Pryor  had  a  narrow  escape. 
While  sitting  on  a  fence  by  the  roadside,  a  shell  burst  immedi- 
ately over  his  head,  and  the  fragments  dashed  into  the  ground 
around  him  on  every  side,  without  doing  injury. 

"Humph,"  said  Pryor,  "they  mistake  my  position.  I  am  not 
so  high  as  that." 

He  wore  a  high  felt  hat,  and  was  in  plain  sight  of  the  Federal 
artillerists,  who  were  probably  amusing  themselves  by  firing  at 
so  important  a  target. 

General  Wilcox  likewise  received  similar  attentions.  He  was 
riding  in  advance  of  the  army,  attended  by  a  single  trooper, 
vrhen  the  latter  discovered  one  of  the  Yankee  pickets  peeping 
over  the  top  of  a  boulder. 

"Shall  I  bring  him  down?"  said  the  soldier,  raising  his  piece 
to  his  shoulder. 

"No,"  replied  the  General;  "the  distance  is  too  great;  better 
not  waste  your  powder." 

Hardly  were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth  before  "whiz" — a 
Minnie  ball  flew  within  three  inches  of  the  General's  ear,  and 
lodged  in  the  bank  behind  him. 

"You  may  shoot,"  said  Wilcox. 

While  the  division  of  General  Kearney  was  halting  at  Manassas 
Junction,  General  Kearney  suggested  to  Brigadier  General  Bir 
ney  the  propriety  of  making  a  reconnoissance  towards  Center- 
ville.  General  Birney  took  with  him  some  two  or  three  orderlies, 
and  about  twenty  cavalrymen,  and  started  in  the  direction  indi- 
cated, to  which  point,  from  Manassas,  the  distance  is  four  uiles. 
As  he  proceeded  along  he  saw  nothing  of  Secesh,  but  as  a  pre- 
cautionary measure,  and  to  prevent  surprise,  he  wou!4  occasion- 
ally send  one  of  the  cavalry  in  this  direction,  another  in  some 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  59 

other,  and  by  so  doing  lessening  the  number  he  had  with  him  to 
each  an  extent  that  when  he  reached  Centerville  he  had  but  two 
orderlies  and  four  cavalrymen. 

As  they  rode  into  the  town  it  appeared  deserted,  and  they 
commenced  making  preparations  for  a  comfortable  and  perma- 
nent stay.  While  halting  in  front  of  the  only  tavern  in  the 
place,  one  of  his  orderlies  rode  up  to  him  and  stated  that  there 
were  then  coming  up  the  hill  a  body  of  our  own  cavalrymen, 
having  with  them  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

The  General  was  about  to  go  and  meet  them,  when  remember- 
ing that  it  was  hardly  possible  for  any  of  our  troops  to  approach 
from  that  direction,  he  determined  to  make  an  observation  be- 
fore proceeding  further.  Hardly  had  he  came  to  this  determina- 
tion, when  the  "body  of  troops  spoken  of  reached  the  brow  of 
the  hill.  They,  discovering  that  they  were  so  near  a  Union 
General,  gave  one  of  their  peculiar  yells,  and  rushed  toward 
faim.  His  party,  seeing  the  trap  they  were  in,  put  spurs  to  their 
horses,  and  started  on  a  full  gallop  towards  their  own  encamp- 
ment, hotly  pursued  by  the  rebels. 

This  was  kept  up  until  just  across  Bull  Run,  when  the  Colonel 
of  the  rebels,  who  was  mounted  on  a  splendid  horse,  came  so 
near  the  General  as  to  draw  his  sword  upon  him,  but  when  in 
the  act  of  raising  to  strike,  General  Birney  suddenly  turned, 
and  with  his  pistol  shot  the  Colonel  in  the  region  of  the  heart 

At  this  point  the  General  had  stationed  a  regiment,  tu  do  duty 
as  pickets. .  They,  previously  hearing  the  commotion,  were  drawn 
up  in  line.  The  General  immediately  rode  to  the  rear,  giving  the 
order  to  fire,  which  they  did  promptly,  thus  checking  the  pursuit 
of  the  rebels,  killing  some  twenty,  and  taking  quite  a  number 
prisoners. 

These  troops  were  all  attired  in  the  uniform  of  Uncle  Sam, 
and  had  with  them  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  A  conversation  had 
with  the  wounded  Colonel  before  he  died,  disclosed  the  fact  that 
in  this  uniform  and  with  these  colors,  they  had  frequently  been 
within  our  lines,  and  that  it  was  their  intention  to  visit  Wash- 
ington at  some  future  time  in  the  same  disguise. 

General  Birney  was  much  complimented  upon  the  cool  daring 
displayed  upon  this  occasion. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Herron,  of  the  9th  Iowa,  was  surrounded 
by  ten  or  twelve  of  the  enemy,  and  ordered  to  surrender.  He 
indignantly  refused,  and  with  his  revolver  in  one  hand,  and  his 
sword  in  the  other,  kept  his  enemies  at  bay,  by  placing  his  back 
against  a  tree.  He  had  killed  and  wounded  four  of  the  rebels, 
when,  having  been  twice  wounded  himself,  his  sword  was  knocked 
from  his  grasp,  and  his  arms  seized  from  behind.  He  would 
have  been  killed,  had  not  a  southern  Captain,  from  admiration 
of  his  courage,  ordered  his  life  to  be  spared.  Even  while  the 


Colonel  was  a  captive,  a  Creek  Indiaa  stole  up,  and  was-  al>o»t  to 
plunge  a  knife  into  h-is  side,  when  the  Captain  drew  his  revolvsr 
and  blew  out  the  treacherous  creature's  brains. 

A  printer  from  Indiana,  a  perfectly  raw  recruit,  sat  at  an  em- 
brasure and  fired  over  five  hundred  shots.  He  kept  up  all  the 
time  a  continuous  laugh  in  the  ranks  about  him,  by  his  witty 
and  humorous  remarks.  The  men  below  loaded  for  him,  and  he 
fired  rapidly  and  with  splendid  effect. 

" High t  in  the  mouth,"  he  would  exclaim,  after  an  effective 
ahot;  "There's  a, job  for  the  Dentist.  Give  us  another  ^un." 

He  managed  to  escape  without  being  paroJIed. 

A  brave  little  fellow,  of  not  more  than  seventeen,  be^mcring-  s«v 
the  9th  New  York,  stood  in  front  of  his  regiment  while  it  en- 
paged  the  enemy,  at  short  ran^e,  in  which  position  he  fired  all 
bis  cartridges,  and,  stooping  down,  took  his  dead  comrade's  car 
tridge  box  and  fired  the  entire  contents,  in  all  ninety-five  rounds^ 
not  receiving  a  scratch  the  wh»le  time,  notwitlista»>ding  the 
ground  was  covered  with  the  ctead  and  wounded  all  arwand  him. 
The  regiment  was  ordered"  ta  charge  a  riile-pi4,  where  the  rebels 
were  concealed,  and  the  young  hero  was  the  first  who  eatered  itr 
the  enemy  flying  at  the  approach  of  the  bayonek. 

Among  the  most  cool  and  fearless  of  the  Indiana  officers  5a 
General  R.  S.  Foster.  When,  he  arrived  at  Winchester,  with  his 
command,  they  were  plodding  along  under  "  right  shoulder  shift/' 
aad  the  General,  n»t  deeming  this  rebellious  city  worthy  any 
lespect  did  not  bring  the  boys  to  "shoulder,"  nor  change  the 
easy,  sauBteriag  tramp  of  the  march  to- the  trim  step  of  parade. 
When  they  had  got  fairly  into  the  city,  they  were  saluted  with 
sundry  volleys  of  rebel  musketry,  which  were  repeated  till  they 
were  "past  the  outmost  guards"  of  the  town.  The  bullets 
whistled  past  their  ears,  and  clattered  against  their  bayonets, 
but  not  a  man  looked  around,  nor  swerved  to  the  right  or  left. 
The  General  rode  on,  and  the  men  followed,  as  though  nothing 
had  happened.  Not  a  man  was  hurt. 

At  another  time,  when  Foster  was  Colonel  of  the  13th  Indiana, 
and  when  he  was  marching  his  regiment  into  Phillippi,  finding 
the  boys  pretty  loose,  and  straggling  along  without  much  order, 
he  sung  out: 

"Close  up,  boys!  close  up!  If  the  rebels  should  fire  on  you, 
scattered  as  you  are,  they  wouldn't  hit  a  d — d  one  of  you!" 

The  boys,  relishing  the  joke  exceedingly,  and  not  desiring  to 
be  considered  so  poor  a  mark,  closed  up  immediately. 

A  member  of  the  llth  Indiana,  while  out  scouting,  was  fired 
upon  by  a  squad  of  rebels;  and,  as  they  approached  kim*b«  fell 
ffat  up»»i  his  face  in  the  mud. 


SOLDIER   LIFE.  JJ 

"Now  we've  got  you!"  exclaimed  the  rebels,  rushing  upon 
him. 

"No  you  hain't!"  returned  the  Hoosier,  springing  to  hia  feet; 
and,  placing  his  thumb  to  his  nose,  he  continued: 

"You  can't  come  it."  And,  while  his  would-be  captors  were 
recovering  from  their  astonishment,  he  turned  and  run.  The 
bullets  from  a  score  of  muskets  followed  him,  but  he  escaped 
unhurt. 

A  private,  who  was  standing  near  General  Kosecrans,  noticed 
a  rebel  who  was  raising  his  gun,  and  appeared  to  be  endeavor- 
ing to  get  a  good  aim  en  the  General.  The  private  immediately 
rested  his  gun  over  the  rump  of  his  commander's  horse,  and 
brought  the  rebel  down.  Both  guns  went  off  at  the  same  time, 
but  the  rebel  bullet  went  high  above  itg  mark. 

As  an  Indiana  soldier  was  passing  through  a  piece  of  woods, 
he  saw  a  couple  of  rebels  with  a  wagon,  toiling  along  through  a 
Bwamp  near  by.  When  they  saw  him  they  hailed  him: 

"Helloa,  stranger,  we're  out  of  water;  wouldn't  you  give  us  a 
drink  from  your  canteen?" 

The  soldier  stepped  up  and  gave  them  the  drink,  and  started 
again  on  his  march;  but  he  had  not  got  ten  paces  before  he 
heard  an  ominous  "click."  He  turned  around,  and  saw  one  of 
the  rebels  drawing  a  bead  on  him.  The  trigger  was  pulled  and 
the  cap  exploded,  but  the  gun  did  not  go  off.  He  immediately 
raised  his  gun,  and  ordered  them  to  move  on  with  their  team, 
which  they  did,  in  the  direction  which  he  told  them.  So  the 
brave  Hoosier  walked  behind,  with  his  ready  gun  leveled  uptn 
them,  till  he  had  them,  safely  into  camp,  and  delivered  up  AS 
prisoners  of  war. 


HUMORS  OF  THE  DRAFT. 

When  it  was  fully  realized  that  a  slight  draft  was  to  be  made 
throughout  the  North,  an  epidemic  inability  followed  in  the 
wake  of  this  paralyzing  idea;  old  diseases  were  brouirht  into 
requisition,  and  new  ones  spontaneously  sprung  into  existence. 
The  class  of  people,  however,  who  seemed  predisposed  to  this 
disease,  to  the  honor  of  the  Union  be  it  said,  were  those  who 
were  opposed  to  the  war,  with,  perhaps,  a  slight  sprinkling  of 
cowards,  and  a  few  sporadic  cases  of  "  conscientious  scruples." 
To  these  few,  then,  and  not  to  the  many  who  freely  marched 
into  the  ranks,  at  the  call  of  the  draft,  do  these  remarks  apply. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  cases  of  exemption  was  that  of  a 
merchant  in  a  lucrative  business,  who  cut  off  the  fore-finger  of 


72  INCIDENTS  OF 

his  right  hand,  and  when  he  was  afterwards  reproached  for  it, 
and  denounced  as  a  coward,  replied  : 

"Well,  my  wife  wns  afraid  1  should  be  drafted,  and  so,  when 
I  was  asleep,  she  cut  off  my  finger,  and  I  knew  nothing  ubout  it" 

"It  is  strange  you  should  not  know  it,"  said  one. 

"It's  a  fact  though,"  he  replied  innocently,  "when  I  woke  up 
she  had  it  off  and  all  tied  up." 

Astonishing  as  was  this  performance,  it  did  not  satisfy  the 
loyal  citizens,  for  they  stretched  a  line  across  the  street  in  front 
of  his  store,  hung  upon  it  a  huge  banner,  on  which  was  written: 

"Co\A*ard,"  and  other  words  expressing  their  indignation. 

He  was  then  ordered  to  leave  the  town,  which  he  did. 

Another,  a  huge  able-bodied  fellow,  came  before  the  Examin- 
ers with  a  "bran  new  truss."  Upon  being  ordered  to  take  it  off, 
he  said  pitifully: 

"Indeed,  I  dare  not  do  it;  my  whole  insides  will  all  come 
out!" 

The  surgeon,  however,  removed  the  truss,  when,  to  the  aston- 
ishment of  all,  the  concealed  part  was  as  smooth  and  perfect  as 
the  rest  of  his  hide. 

"You'll  do  to  fight,"  said  the  surgeon,  and  the  fellow  backed 
out  amid  the  hearty  laughter  of  the  crowd. 

A  stout,  able-bodied  man,  whose  brawny  arms  and  spatula 
fingers  looked  as  though  they  might  be  able  to  wield  the  sledge 
of  Vulcan,  came  before  the  board,  and  confidently  held  up  his 
right  hand,  which  was  minus  the  fore  finger.  The  stump,  how- 
ever, was  scarcely  healed  over,  and  the  deputy  assured  the  board 
that,  when  he  was  enrolled,  he  had  all  his  fingers  on. 

"But  I  accidentally  cut  one  off  since,"  replied  the  man,  ear- 
nestly. 

A  witness  was  then  brought  forward  who  testified  that  he  savr 
the  man  deliberately,  and  not  accidentally,  cut  off  one  half  of 
his  finger,  and  that  he  said,  when  he  had  done  so,  that  it  was  a 
good  joke  on  the  draft,  as  that  would  exempt  him.  He  was  not 
exempted. 

A  drafted  man,  who  had  been  in  camp  about  two  weeks,  got  a 
furlough  to  visit  his  sweetheart.  After  sitting  up  with  her  to  an 
extremely  reasonable  hour,  and  talking  over  what  she  imagined 
his  unlucky  fate,  and  their  future  prospects,  his  lady-love  pre- 
vailed upon  him  to  lie  down  and  get  one  more  good  sleep;  and 
accordingly,  when  her  patriotic  lover  began  to  snore  freely,  she 
conceived  the  happy  idea  of  exempting  him  from  the  draft.  She 
would  rather  lose  his  finger  than  his  whole  body,  so,  taking  an 
axe,  and  carefully  laying  the  finger  on  a  block,  with  one  blow 
she  severed  it  from  the  hand  and  him  from  the  army.  The  op- 
eration of  course  awoke  him,  when  he  upbraided  her  for  her 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  73 

cruelty  and  war^t  of  patriotism,  and  reported  himself  at  camp, 
remarking: 

"No  woman,  however  sweet,  is  going  to  prevent  me  from  serv- 
ing my  country  when  called  to  do  so.  I  have  lost  my  finger,  but 
she  has  lost  her  lover." 

A  very  conscientious  gentleman  attended  the  lottery  drawings 
at  the  Court  House,  and  after  looking  on  a  while,  he  approached 
the  Commissioner  and  said  : 

"I  say,  'Squire,  can't  you  find  some  other  way  to  choose 
drafted  men  than  l>y  gambling  in  that  style?" 

"No,  sir.  It  is  the  fairest  way  in  the  world.  There  can  be 
no  cheating." 

"  It's  gambling,  nevertheless,  and  as  I've  got  conscientious 
scruples  about -engaging  in  games  of  chance,  I  want  you  to  take 
my  name  out  of  that  box." 

The  Commissioner  informed  the  over-scrupulous  srentleman 
that  it  was  too  late  in  the  day  to  accept  such  a  plea.  The  lottery 
business  went  on,  and  fortunately  for  him,  the  opponent  to 
gambling  drew  a  blank. 

In  a  towhship  where  secession  predominated,  a  heavy  draft 
was  to  be  made  from  its  active  militia.  To  satisfy  those  who 
were  disposed  to  grumble,  and  to  give  them  no  opportunity  to 
misrepresent  matters,  'the  Draft  Commissioner  invited  them  to 
send  a  committee  to  the  Court  House  to  witness  the  drawing. 
They  accepted  the  invitation,  appointing  on  the  committee  some 
of  the  daepest-dyed  Butternuts  of  the  township.  One  of  the 
leaders  was  asked  to  shake  the  box.  He  shook  it,  and  in  so  doing 
accepted  the  apothecary's  motto:  "When  taken  to  be  well 
shaken."  He  shook  the  box  well,  and  the  blind-folded  draftsman 
drew  therefrom  the  name  of  the  old  fellow's  son.  This  rather 
disconcerted  him,  but  he  resolved  to  shake  the  box  before  the 
next  name  should  be  drawn.  This  time  he  shook  it  worse  than 
before,  and  the  unlucky  ballot  which  followed  the  shaking  had 
upon  it  his  son-in-law's  name.  Thinking  this  too  much  of  a  good 
thing,  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  left  the  Court  House,  remark- 
ing: 

"I'm  Mowed  if  I  have  any  thing  more  to  do  with  this  gamb- 
ling institution." 

A  Lieutenant,  in  a  volunteer  regiment  sold  himself  as  a  sub- 
stitute, aud  was  accepted.  The  officer  supposed  that  he  oould 
Rtill  retain  his  office,  and  he  chuckled  at  the  idea  of  making  a 
few  hundred  clear  profit  so  easily,  but  was  exceedingly  aston- 
ished when  he  woke  up  to  the  stern  fact  that  he  had  lost  his 
commission,  and  was  compelled  to  serve  as  a  private. 

Another  gentlexian,  who  had  been  a  Major  General  in  the 
Militia,  when  he  was  drafted,  reported  himself  at  headquarters 


74  INCIDENTS  or 

with  his  regimentals  on,  ready  for  duty,  to  take  the  command  of 
any  division  (hat  should  be  assigned  him;  but  he  was  exceed- 
ingly shocked  and  astonished  when  informed  that  they  were  not 
drafting  Major  Generals,  and  that  he  was  only  a  private. 


THE  HANDWRITING  ON  THE  WALL. 

Some  Southern  gp-ntleman.  whose  sympathies  are  seen  in  hia 
writing,  amused  himself  one  night  by  writing  on  the  outer  walls 
of  some  of  the  prominent  houses  in  Richmond.  The  chivalrous 
inhabitants  were  astonished  the  next  morning  when  they  read 
the  following  mottoes: 

"On  York  town' 8  Avails  the  cry  is  'still  they  come.'  " 
"Change  your  bells  into  cannon,  and  charge  with  Confeder- 
ate 5'  s." 

"Southern  Legions  covered  with  glory:   'Pinks  of  chivalry.'  " 
"The  Lord  is  on  our  side,  but  in  consequence  of  pressing  en- 
gagements elsewhere,  could  not  attend  at  Pea  Ridge,  Donelson, 
&c.,  &c." 

"He  will  also  be  prevented  from  visit jng  his  chosen  'pinks' 
ai  Yorktown." 

"Southern  hearts  are  beating  low — 

Manassas  boasters  shun  the  foe; 

Stars  and  Stripes  shall  wave  again — 

Northerners  tread  this  ebon  main." 

"Something  nevvunder  thesun,  to-wit:  'Petticoat  gunboats.' 
"Nationals!  unfurl  your  banners  over  Yorktown  walls." 

"Southern  boasters,  grasp  the  dust, 

In  the  Lord  you  vainly  trust. 

For  the  Lord  you   fain  would  cheat 

With  Halcyon  lips  and  Pluto's  feet." 
"The  cry  is  still  they  come." 
"Hang  your  banners  on  the  outer  walls." 

Had  this  loyal  gentleman  been  discovered,  he  would  probably 
have  been  hung  on  the  outer  walls  himself. 


TAKING  THE  OATH. 

When  Cox's  brigade  entered  a  small  town  in  Virginia,  it  pro- 
duced a  terrible  scare  among  the  inhabitants.     They  hid  in  the 


SOLDIER 

cellars,  cupboards,  ami  in  every  hole  where  they  felt  that  they 
would  be  safe  from  the  barbarous  hands  of  these  vandal  Yan- 
kees. One  little  girl  buried  herself  under  the  bed  clothes,  at 
the  risk  of  suffocation,  evidently  endeavoring  to  smother  her  own 
»c  reams. 

Lieut.  Krin,  of  General  Pleasanton's  staff,  who  was  appointed 
Provost  Mnivshal  of  the  village,  immediately  arrested  all  the  male 
citizens  of  the  place,  and  assembled  them  in  front  of  one  of  the 
stores,  preparatory  to  taking  the  oath.  Twenty-six  comprised 
the  number,  consisting  of  old  men,  middle-aged,  and  youths. 
They  answered  as  their  names  were  called. 

ul  don't  like  to  take  this  oath  of  allegiance  on  Southern  soil 
It's  shameful!"  said  a  plethoric  Methodist  clergyman. 

"I  think  you  are  rather  premature,"  said  an  old  man  of  sev- 
enty, "to  force  this  upon  us  before  we  have  had  time  to  think 
of  it." 

"You  will  soon  be  gone,  and  then  the  Confederates  will  como 
in  and  play  the  devil  with  us,  if  we  take  the  oath,"  said  a  Vir- 
ginia rough. 

So.  one  after  another  offered  his  excuse  for  not  being  loyaT. 
But  these  excuses  proved  of  no  avail.  As  fast  as  their  names 
were  called  off,  and  their  refusal  heard,  a  significant  dash  of  the 
pen  confiscated  their  homes,  and  awarded  them  confinement. 

"No,  sir!"  replied  Richard  Wilmot,  in  an  insolent  and  defiant 
manner.  This  answer  probably  prolonged  his  time  in  the  prison. 
Not  one  of  them  subscribed  to  the  oath. 


A  LUDICROUS  SCENE. 

While  the  Union  troops  occupied  Phillippi,  Colonel  Crittenden 
one  day  took  his  regiment  out  about  a  mile,  to  an  open  place,  for 
the  purpose  of  giving  them  a  little  practice.  This  move  was 
without  orders,  and  consequently,  when  the  tiring  was  heard,  all 
supposed  that  the  rebels  were  upon  them.  Immediately  the 
whole  camp  was  astir,  and  soon  in  battle  array. 

At  this  time  General  Dumont,  who  was  then  Colonel,  was  lying 
sick  upon  his  couch,  and  although  convalescent,  was  quite  too 
feeble  to  walk  without  help.  Hearing  the  confusion  without,  he 
inquired  the  cause,  and  upon  being  told,  he  sprang  out  of  bed 
and  attempted  to  put  on  his  clothes,  bat  before  he  was  half 
dressed  he  fell  back  upon  hi?  couch  exhausted.  Dr.  Thompson, 
the  surgeon  in  charge,  and  the  special  friend  of  the  General, 
endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  so  rash  an  act. 

"It  can't  be  helped.1'  replied  the  General,"!  must  be  with  my 
reg'ment." 


76  INCIDENTS  OT 

So,  between  alternate  dressing  and  resting,  he  was  at  last  att 
rigged  cap-a-pie,  for  the  coming  battle.  His  horse  was  brought, 
and  the  surgeon  helped  him  on,  but  he  was  too  weak  to  sit  theru 
steadily,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  he  could  retain  his 
neat  in  the  saddle.  At  last  his  regiment  was  in  line  of  battle. 
The  General  cast  his  oye  down  the  line  with  some  pride,  and 
then  straightening  himself  in  his  stirrups,  while  he  swayed  to 
and  fro  from  weakness,  in  a  slow,  measured  voice  said: 

"Now  let  the rebels  come  on.      I'm  ready  for  them." 

The  General  is  in  heakh  small  and  thin,  and  was  on  this  occa- 
sion much  smaller  and  thinner  than  usual ;  but  his  language 
and  attitude  were  so  ludicrously  at  variance,  that  his  staff,  and 
the  surgeon,  who  were  present,  could  not  resist  the  impulse  to 
indulge  in  a  gentle  laugh.  Yet  they  knew  that  the  soldier's 
heart  burned  in  his  bosom,  and  were  convinced  that  he  felt  that 
he  could  do  double  duty  did  the  occasion  require  it. 

Presently  an  orderly  rode  up  at  full  gallop  and  reported: 

"  A  false  alarm.  The  firing  is  from  Colonel  Crittenden's  rogi- 
loent,  who  are  ^r.t  practicing." 

"Ah,  practicing,"  said  the  General.  "  He  thinks  he  can't  do 
us  any  good,  so  he  goes  out  to  shoot  at  nothing." 

This  remark  was  well  understood  by  his  hearers,  who  consid- 
ered it  a  good  joke. 


RECKLESS  DARING. 

All  wars  have  developed  those  fearless  characters  who  have 
no  realization  of  death  and  danger:  but  this  rebellion  has  the 
honor,  if  honor  it  be,  of  producing  more  men  of  this  reckless 
stamp  than  any  war  in  all  the  annals  of  history.  There  are 
many  soldiers,  in  both  armies,  who  have  carried  their  bravery 
to  sheer  recklessness,  and  many  a  life  has  thus  been  sacrificed 
tc  their  extravagant  daring. 

At  the  battle  of  Antietam,  the  national  flag  of  the  30th  Ohio 
came  out  with  seventeen  bullet  holes  through  it.  This  regiment, 
from  its  advanced  position,  received  the  rebel  fire  from  two  sides, 
and  at  last  was  forced  to  fall  back,  when  the  brave  color-bearer, 
sergeant  White,  recklessly  planted  the  flag  in  the  very  face  of 
the  foe.  The  rebels  rewarded  his  daring  by  firing  a  v  dley  upon 
him.  killing  him  instantly.  Another  soldier  caught  the  flag,  and 
amid  the  whistling  bullets,  bore  it  triumphantly  away. 

A  rebel  flag  was  borne  seven  times  to  the  fort,  on  the  acute 
angle  of  the  left  line  of  fortifications,  and  was  seven  times  shot 
away.  The  last  attempt  to  plant  it  there  WAS  made  by  a  daring 


SOLDIER  Lira.  77 

fellow  who  received  twenty-seven  shots  through  the  body  be  for* 
he  fell. 

The  force  under  General  Sigel  wag  gallantly  charging  the 
enemy  and  driving  them  from  the  heights  they  occupied,  when 
a  rebel  officer,  Captain  of  a  Louisiana  company,  seemed  resolved 
to  throw  away  his  life.  As  his  fellow-soldiers  retreated,  he  ad- 
vanced further  toward  our  troopa,  until  he  was  almost  alone. 
He  waved  his  sword  and  cried  in  a  loud,  ringing  voice,  for  his 
men  to  follow  him,  and  denouncing  them  as  cowards  if  they 
retreated.  They  heeded  not  his  appeals;  and  seeing  himself 
deserted,  he  ran  toward  our  advance  shouting  like  a  madman: 

•'I  am  as  brave  as  Caesar.  If  we  are  whipped  I  do  not  want 
to  live.  Come  on  you  d — d  Yankees." 

Our  infantry  were  anxious  to  take  this  southern  Hotspur  pris- 
oner, and  would  have  done  so  had  not  one  of  our  batteries 
opened  from  the  left  on  the  retreating  foe,  and  in  its  storm  of 
iron  swept  down  the  single  life, which,  so  full  of  fierceness,  ebbed 
itself  away  in  the  sodden  a-nd  unpitying  ground. 

After  the  battle,  inquiries  were  made  of  some  of  the  Louisiana 
prisoners  concerning  the  fallen  Captain.  No  one  knew  his  name, 
but  several  said  they  believed  he  was  the  son  of  a  sugar  planter 
living  up  the  Bayou  La  Fourche,  who  had  joined  the  southern 
army  because  he  said  he  wanted  to  die;  that  if  not  killed  before 
the  war  was  over,  he  would  commit  suicide.  That  some  secret 
sorrow  or  remorse  tortured  him  night  and  day,  there  Avas  no 
reason  to  doubt.  He  was  often  gentle,  generous,  and  affectionate, 
but  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  which  he  drank  to  excess, 
overbearing,  rude  and  violent.  He  had  fought  two  duels  in  Ar- 
kar\sas  with  his  fellow-officers,  and  had  thrice  been  attacked  with 
the  delirium  tremens,  that  familiar  foe  to  southern  youth  and 
southern  age.  Doubtless,  on  the  morning  when  he  so  wantonly 
sacrified  himself,  liquor  had  turned  his  brain,  and  he  found  the 
death,  he  sought  so  perseveringly,  amid  the  iron  tempest  of  de- 
structive battle. 

James  Hartley,  who  had  Jost  a  brother,  swore  to  be  revenged, 
and  in  one  of  the  sorties  by  the  rebels,  attacked  six  of  them 
single  handed,  and  killed  three  before  he  lost  his  own  life. 

Three  members  of  the  8th  Illinois  rushed  over  the  rifle  pits, 
after  the  enemy  had  retreated,  and  frantically  hurled  themselves 
into  the  midst  of  a  thousand  foes.  They  never  returned. 

At  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  Brigadier  General  Gladden,  of  South 
Carolina,  who  was  in  General  Bragg's  command,  had  his  left  arm 
shattered  by  a  ball  on  the  first  day  of  the  fight.  Amputation 
was  performed  hastily  by  his  staff-surgeon  on  the  field;  and  then, 
instead  of  being  taken  to  the  rear  for  quiet  and  nursing,  ho 


78  INCIDENTS  OT 

mounted  his  horse,  against  the  most  earnest  remonstrances  oT 
all  his  staff,  and  continued  to  command.  The  next  day  he  was 
again  in  the  saddle,  and  kept  it  during  the  day;  on  the  next,  he 
rode  on  horseback  to  Corinth,  twenty  miles  from  the  scene  of 
action,  and  continued  te  discharge  the  d«ties  of  an  officer.  In 
n  few  days,  a  second  amputation,  near  the  shoulder,  was  nocea- 
sary,  when  General  Bragg  sent  an  aid  to  ask  if  he  would  not  b« 
relieved  of  his  command,  to  which  he  replied: 

'•(live  General  Hragg  my  compliments,  and  say  that  General 
Gladden  will  only  give  np  Ms  command  to  go  into  his  coffin." 

Against  the  remonstrances  of  personal  friends,  and  the  posi- 
tive injunctions  of  the  surgeons,  he  persisted  in  sitting  tip  in  his 
chair,  receiving  dispatches  and  giving  directions,  till  the  next 
•day,  when  lockjaw  seized  him,  and  he  died  in  a  few  moments. 

A  rebel  private  left  his  company,  and,  dabbing  his  gun,  rushed 
into  a  Union  regiment,  and  aimed  a  blow  at  an  Indiana  captain, 
who  dodged  the  blow  and  shot  the  rebel. 

A  rebel  officer,  after  all  Ins  companions  had  retreated  and  left 
him,  fought  with  Ins  sword  against  a  half  dozen  Unionists,  who 
had  surrounded  him,  and  were  anxious  to  take  him  prisoner. 

"Do  you  surrender?"  asked  a  Union  soldier. 

''Never!"  exclaimed  the  rebel  defiantly,  while  his  sword 
hissed  through  the  air  in  defiant  curves. 

Three  of  the  Union  soldiers  were  wounded,  yet  they  wished 
to  save  him  on  account  of  his  bravery,  and  again  one  of  them 
cried  : 

"  Will  y*m  surrender?" 

''I'll  die  first!  "was  his  answer,  and  with  the  word  came  a 
"blow  that  carried  death  to  a  Union -soldier.  Instantly  a  bayonet 
put  an  end  to  his  brief  but  brave  career. 

Another  soldier  mounted  the  breastworks  in  full  view  of  the 
federal  forces,  and  shouted: 

"Come  on,  you  cussed  cowardly  Yankees!  Sheot  away,  you 
thieving  pups  !  Who'cares  fer  your  bullets  ?  I'm  l/rallet-proof!  " 

The  defiance  was  scarcely  uttered  "before  he  foil,  pierced  by  a 
score  of  the  bullets  he  held  in  such  contempt 

A  soldier  from  Rhode  Island,  while  on  picket  guard,  was  rushed 
upon  by  a  party  of  rebel  cavalry.  He  instantly  fired  his  piece 
«.t  the  foremost,  and  ra~i.  The  way  before  him  was  an  open  field, 
ubi.ut  fiTty  rods  across,  the  other  side  heinir  hemmed  in  by  an 
old,  rorten.  lo«r  fence,  arid,  still  beyond,  a  sort  of  chaparral  of 
briar  hushes  and  underbrush.  To  thisretreat  the  soldierstarted, 
•on  quadruple  quick,  with  a  half  dozen  horsemen  after  him.  For- 
tunately for  the  soldier,  the  ruins  had  made  the  field  quite  mud- 
<ly,  and  the  horsos  slumped  through  the  turf  so  badly  that  they 
could  not  lessen  the  distance  between  them  and  the  fagitivc. 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  79 

All  this  time  the  rebels  were  keeping  up  a  roar  of  pistolry,  one 
of  the  balls  passing  through  the  soldiers  hat,  and  another  went 
clean  through  his  cartridge  bos  and  lodged  in  his  coat.  Still  on 
ran  the  hero,  and  still  on  splashed  the  horsemen.  The  picket 
at  last  reached  the  fence,  and  with  one  bound  landed  on  the  top, 
intending  to  give  a  long  spring  ahead  ;  bat  the  fence  was  frail, 
and  crumbled  beneath  his  weight.  It  so  chanced  that  a  hog  had 
rooted  out  a  gutter  at  this  place,  and  was  lying  snoring  therein. 
At  the  cracking  of  the  fence,  his  swineship  evacuated  his  hole, 
and  scampered,  barking,  into  the  underbrush.  As  luck  would 
have  it,  the  soldier  fell  in  that  hole,  muddy  as  it  was,  and  the 
fence  rattled  down  upon  him.  This  was  no  more  than  fairly 
done  when  up  came  the  horseman,  and,  hearing  the  rustling  of 
leaves,  and  not  doubting  it  w-is  their  prey,  dashed  through  tho 
gap  in  the  fence,  and,  seeing  a  path  in  the  brush,  they  put  through 
it  after  the  hog,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight.  When  the  sound 
of  their  footstep*  died  away,  the  picket  returned  to  camp  and 
reported.  The  next  day  one  of  the.se  rebel  horsemen  was  taken  _ 
prisoner.  When  our  hero  saw  him  he  recognized  him  at  once, 
and  sung  out: 

"I  say,  old  fellow,  did  you  oatch  that  hog  yesterday?1' 
"We  dii  that,"  retortj-i  tha  prisoner,  "but  it  wasn  t  the  one 
we  were  after." 


LOVE  AND  GLORY. 

At  the  battle  of  Donelson  a  prisoner,  who  had  received  a 
mortal  wound,  told  the  following  sad  story: 

I  am  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Several  years  ago  I  removed 
to  Tennessee.  While  there  I  became  acquainted  with  a  South- 
ern lady.  She  was  a  high  spirited  girl;  intelligent,  of  good 
education,  wealthy,  and  moved  in  tho  hif$est  circles  of  society. 
I  loved  her  and  sought  her  hand.  We  were  plighted,  and  our 
nuptials  were  about  to  take  place  when  the  war  broke  out.  At 
heart  1  felt  the  enormity  of  this  wicked  rebellion,  but  knowing 
the  peculiar  southern  proclivities  of  my  aiS  meed,  and  h,^r  bitter 
hatred  of  the  North,  I  almost  dreade  I  to  maet  her,  and  wlieu  wo 
did  meet  it  proved  as  I  exoocted.  Sh;;  w  is  a  rank  rebel. 

"  What  is  to  be  done,  Delia?"  said  I,  after  a  long  conversation. 
"Our  views  do  not  harmonize  in  this  matter." 

"  What  do  you  intend  t:>  do?''  she  asked. 

"Nothing,"  replied  I,  with  some  misgiving.  "I  can  never  lift 
my  hand  against  the  best  Government  the  world  has  ever  pro- 
duced ;  neither  can  I  turn  against  the  people  of  the  South,  whom 
I  so  respect,  and  who  are  the  kinsmen  of  my  Ddlia.  I  must  be 


$0  INCIDENTS  OF 

non  est  in.  this  matter,  and  leave  more  belligerent  ones  to  do  the 
fighting." 

Tenderly  as  I  said  this,  T  noticed  that  she  was  agitated,  and 
her  eyes  almost  flashed  fire  as  she  answered: 

"  But  you  must  do  something." 

"What  can  I  do,  Delia,  under  such  peculiar  circumstances?" 
said  I. 

"Can't  you  fight  for  the  country  that  protects  you?  The  glo- 
rious South,  that  gives  you  wealth,  love  and  happiness?"  she 
said,  earnestly. 

"  Would  you  have  mo  turn  traitor,  and  destroy  the  very  gov- 
ernment that  has  given  me  all  these?"  said  I. 

"Traitor!"  she  exclaimed,  wildly,  "Is  he  a  traitor  who  fights 
for  her  he  loves?  Traitor,  indeed!  Can  you  not  fight  forme, 
William?  Then  you  are  a  traitor  in  the  worst  sense  of  the  word." 

I  was  nettled,  and  my  face  showed  it;  but  love  conquers  every 
thing,  even  loyalty,  and  I  said,  sternly : 

"Delia,  would  it  add  to  the  welfare  of  the  South  if  it  should 
gain  its  independence?  Would  it  add  to  your  happiness?" 

"It  would,"  she  replied.  "The  only  respectable  part  of  the 
country  would  then  be  rid  of  tlio  sneaking,  uaed  Jlesomo  North ; 
and  of  course  I  should  be  happy." 

"We  do  not  see  it  alike,"  said  I.  "Do  I  understand  that  you 
wish  me  to  become  a  traitor  for  your  sake,  and  fight  in  the  ranks 
of  the  rebel  army,  against  the  government  of  my  nativity,  which 
has  never  done  ought  but  shower  blessings  upon  me?" 

"Yes !  "  she  said,  ferve.ntly,  "Rebel  army  if  you  please  to  call 
it  so.  Listen  to  me,  William.  I  am  your  affianced,  we  are 
plighted,  and  we  love  each  other,  as  you  say,  as  none  ever  did 
before.  This  I  do  not  deny;  but  I  love  my  country  also." 

"Is  not  this  United  States  yoar  country?"  said  I.  "Then 
why  do  you  wish  to  destroy  it?" 

"No,"  she  replied  scornfully.  "The  South  is  the  only  part 
of  the  country  that  deserves  the  name  of  United  States.  See 
here,  I  have  a  proposition  to  make  you." 

"Go  on,"  said  I. 

"  I  do  not  believe  you  are  a  coward,"  she  said  tenderly,  "but 
I  want  a  proof  of  your  devotion  to  me  and  the  land  I  love.  You 
can  get  a  commission  —  I  will  see  that  you  have  one.  Will  you 
go  ?  Here  is  my  hand  ;  my  heart  is  yours,  and  shall  go  with 
you  and  be  to  you  a  talisman  of  safety  in  all  danger." 

"Could  you  marry  a  traitor,  Delia?"  I  asked,  for  I  could  not 
get  rid  oY  that  blighting  idea. 

"Don't  call  yourself  that,  William,"  she  said  kindly.  "  I  am 
plighted  to  you,  and  as  soon  as  you  prove  yourself  to  me  and  my 
country,  we  shall  be  one;  but  if  not — " 

"Never?"  interrupted  I. 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  •     gl 

"You  have  guessed  it,  William,"  said  she.  "  Come,  forgot  the 
harsh  name  of  traitor,  and  go,  will  you  ?" 

This  was  said  with  the  most  intense  tenderness,  and  throwing 
her  arms  around  my  neck  she  lavished  upon  me  a  flood  of  kisses. 

"  Won't  you  go,  dearest,  for  my  sake  ?  ' 

My  mind  was  made  up.  I  could  not  leave  her,  and  under  thfl 
impulse  of  her  fervent  kisses,  forgetful  of  the  cireuinstancos,  I 
replied,  firmly  : 

"  I  will,  IX'lia,  and  God  protect  me  from  a  traitor's  fai«  and 
•ave  you  from  remorse  if  I  am  lost." 

With  the  warmest  protestations  of  love,  we  parted.  At  that 
moment  I  would  have  rebelled  against  the  world  for  her  sake. 
The  next  day  I  had  a  Lieutenant's  commission,  and  in  one  month 
my  reward  came./-  1  knew  it  would,  for  I  deserved  it.  O,  faith- 
less woman!  O  more  than  faithless  Delia!  In  one  month  she 
was  married  to  another!  I  did  not  weep.  I  did  not  upbraid 
myself,  for  I  then  knew  that  she  induced  me  to  go  that  she  might 
obtain  that  other.  Remorse  and  despair  took  possession  of  me, 
and  1  determined  to  die.  I  sought  the  thickest  of  danger,  and 
wantonly  threw  myself  in  the  most  perilous  places.  But  fate 
seemed  to  mock  me.  I  could  not  die.  But  to-day,  thank  God, 
fate  has  favored  me,  and  death  will  soon  blot  out  this  enormity 
of  mv  life. 

That  night  the  Lieutenant  was  buried,  and  one  sad  heart,  at 
least,  throbbed  with  pity  for  the  errinir  but  unhappy  soldier.  But 
what  of  the  faithless  aud  heartless  Delia  ?  Who  shall  record  her 
heart  throbs  ? 


FRATERNIZING  OF   ENEMIES. 

During  the  week  of  battles  in  front  of  Washington,  Gen.  Bay- 
ard went  forward  under  a  flag  of  truce  to  meet  and  confer  with 
his  old  comrade  in  arms,  the  now  famous  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  of  the 
rebel  cavalry. 

At  the  opening  of  the  war,  Stuart  vras  First  Lieutenant  and 
Bayard  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  same  company;  but  Stuart  is 
now  a  Major  General  and  Bayard  a  Brigadier. 

During  the  interview,  a  wounded  Union  soldier  lying  near 
asked  for  water.  With  the  familiaritv  of  old  times,  Bayard, 
tossing  his  bridle  to  the  rebel  officer,  said: 

"Here,  Jeb,  hold  my  horse  a  minute,  will  you,  till  I  fetch  that 
poor  fellow  some  water?" 

Stewart  took  the  bridle,  and  held  the  hors?  while  Bayard  went 
to  a  stream  near  by,  and  brought  the  woundci  man  some  water. 

6 


82  INCIDENTS  or 

When  Stuart  handed  his  old  friend  the  bridle,  he  remarked,  jolc 
ingly : 

"It  is  some  time  since  I  played  orderly  to  a  Union  General.' 

"Union  Generals  may  order  you  yet,  Jeb,"  replied  Bayard. 

"When  they  find  me,"  retorted  Stewart,  laughing. 

The  business  upon  which  they  met  was  soon  arranged,  and 
the  old  friends  parted.  A  fight,  which  had  ceased  while  they 
were  engaged  in  talking,  recommenced  with  great  fury  on  both 
sides  the  moment  each  got  back  to  his  own  ranks,  and  the  two 
friends  were  again  enemies 


DEVOTION  OF  A  CONTRABAND. 

During  the  first  days'  fight  at  the  bloody  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
the  rebels  drove  General  Casey's  division  from  their  camping 
ground,  and  rested  for  the  night,  confident  that  the  morrow  would 
give  thorn  a  chance  to  drive  the  Yankee  invader  beyond  the 
Obickuhominy.  But  just  at  daylight  that  morning,  Heihtzelman's 
corps  reinforced  our  line,  and  at  day-break  were  hurled  against 
the  rebel  foe  For  a  long  time  the  issue  was  doubtful.  The 
line  swayed  to  and  fro;  but  at  last  the  Excelsior  Brigade  —  the 
heroes  of  Williamsburg  —  was  ordered  to  charge.  That  charge 
is  a  matter  of  history.  It  gave  us  the  battle  ground  of  Fair  Oaks. 

One  afternoon  word  was  sent  to  General  Sickles  that  the  enemy 
was  Hdvancing  in  force,  and  every  preparation  was  at  once  made 
for  battle.  A  few  shots  were  heard  from  pickets,  but  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  our  battery,  and  then  every  thing  was  quiet 
What  meant  that  silence?  What  were  the  rebels  doing?  Several 
•rderlies  sent  out  to  the  pickets,  failed  to  bring  any  satisfactory 
intelligence.  General  Sickles  turned  to  Lieutenant  Palmer,  one 
.of  his  aids,  and  acting  Assistant  Adjutant  (Jeneral,  and  directed 
him  to  take  a  squad  of  cavalry  and  ride  cautiously  out  to  the 
first  bend  in  the  road,  and  communicate  wich  our  pickets. 

Palmer  was  a  noble  fellow — young,  handsome,  a  perfect  geu- 
tleman,  a  graceful  rider,  and  a  gallant  soldier.  He  was  the  pride 
of  the  brigade.  Forgetful  of  the  caution  given  him,  with  the 
impetaositv  characteristic  of  youth,  he  dashed  forward  at  a  full 
gallop,  with  saber  drawn.  He  came  to  the  first  bend  in  the  road, 
and  (fatal  mistake)  kept  on.  He  came  to  the  second  bend,  and 
as  lie  turned  it.  directly  across  the  road  was  a  company  of  rebel 
infantry,  drawn  up  to  receive  him.  They  fired.  One  ball  crashed 
through  that  handsome  face  into  his  brain,  while  another  tore 
the  arm  that  bor«  rik)ft  his  trusty  blade. 

The  shots  were  heard  at  the  battery,  and  in  a  moment  Palm- 
er's riderless  horse,  bleeding  from  abound  in  the  neck,  galloped 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  §3 

from  the  woods,  followed  by  the  squad  of  cavalry,  who  told  the 
General  of  the  untimely  fate  of  his  aid. 

"  Boys,"  said  the  General  to  the  veterans  who  clustered  around 
to  hear  the  story,  "Lieutenant  Palmer's  body  lies  m  that  road." 

Not  a  word  more  needed  saying.  Quickly  the  men  fell  in,  and 
a  general  advance  of  the  line  was  made  to  secure  it.  Whilst 
the  cavalrymen  were  telling  the  story,  a  negro  servant  of  Lieut. 
Palmer's  was  standing  by  Unnoticed  he  left  the  group;  down 
that  road — the  Williamsburg  turnpike — he  went;  he  passed  our 
picket  line,  and  alone  and  unattended  he  walked  along  that 
avenue  of  death  to  so  many,  not  knowing  what  moment  he  would 
be  laid  low  by  a  rebel  bullet,  or  be  a  prisoner  to  undergo  the 
still  worse  death — a  life  of  slavery.  Upon  the  advance  of  our 
line,  that  faithful  servant  was  found  by  the  side  of  his  dead 
master;  faithful  in  life,  and  faithful  amid  all  the  horrors  of  the 
battle-field  ;  even  in  death. 

None  but  those  who  know  the  locality  —  the  gallant  men  that 
make  up  Hooker's  division — can  appreciate  the  heroism  that 
possessed  that  contraband.  That  road  was  lined  with  sharp- 
shooters. A  wounded  man  once  lay  in  it  three  days,  neither 
partv  darinir  to  rescue  him.  The  act  of  that  heroic  unknown, 
but  faithful  contraband,  was  one  of  the  most  daring  of  the  war, 
and  prompted  by  none  other  than  the  noblest  feelings  known  to 
the  human  breast 


TRUSTING  DE  LORD. 

A  Captain  in  one  of  the  Maine  regiments  at  Port  Royal,  has 
a  colored  servant  named  Tally,  who  has  talked  very  bravely 
when  spoken  to  about  joining  the  colored  brigade.  To  test  his 
courage,  the  Captain  recently  told  him  he  was  about  to  visit  the 
main-land,  and  asked  Tally  if  he  would  go  with  him  and  help 
fight  the  rebels.  Tally,  after  scratching  his  head  and  rubbing 
his  shins  a  few  moments,  replied: 

"Dun  know  'bout  dat,  boss;  I'se  ober  on  de  main  a  short  spell 
ago,  an'  trus'  de  Lord  ter  get  me  ober  here,  an'  he  dun  it;  hut  it 
ain't  best  to  ask  too  much  ob  de  Lord.  'Spects  I  doesn't  like  to 
truss  him  agin,  Boss." 


A  HUMILIATING  MISTAKE. 

Colonel  Averill  r.ame  upon  a  secesh  gentleman,  in  Virginia, 
who  mistook  him  for  the  renowned  rebel  Stewart.  Eyeing  him 
from  head  to  foot,  the  rebel  said : 


g|  INCIDENTS  Or 

"So  yon  are  the  celebrated  Stewart?" 

The  Colonel,  who  aimed  to  he  non-committal,  answered: 

"It  is  supposed  so,  hy  some  people." 

"Well,"  said  the  man,  much  pleased,  "la  there  anything  1 
can  do  for  you  in  this  neighborhood  ?" 

" Well,"  said  the  Colonel,  "I  don't  know.  How  are  all  the 
boys,  around  here?" 

"  Why,"  said  the  man,  earnestly,  "  the  Rangers  have  gone  te 
Frederickshurg, and  we  don't  know  when  they  will  he  back;  but 
that  will  make  no  difference  to  you.  I  will  entertain  you  dur- 
ing their  absence.  I  have  bfcen  a  Union  man — a  Minor  Botta 
man — and  have  repented  of  thut,  and  am  now  doing  all  I  can  for 
the  Southern  cause.  I  own  thirty-five  negroes,  and  I  sent  all  but 
4wo  to  work  on  the  fortifications  at  Williamsburg  and  Yorktown. 
Don't  you  think  that  will  set  me  right  with  the  Confederate  Gov- 
Cinment?  And,  besides,  I  want  to  go  with  you  to-day;  1  want 
to  show  you  around  the  country." 

"  Well,  sir,"  says  Colonel  Averill,  "  I  think  you  have  done  con- 
•uferahle  for  the  Confederate  government,  and  1  think  it  is  more 
than  likely  you  will  go  with  nre." 

<ll  thank  you.  Colonel;  it  is  an  honor  to  go  with  the  great  Col- 
onel Stewart,  and  I  want  you  to  -bring  all  the  boys  to  my  house 
to-night.  1  hare  plenty  of  room  for  your  whole  regiment  I  have 
bacon,  flour,  meal,  for  your  men  ;  corn  for  your  horses;  eggs  in 
abundance,  and  you  all  shall  swim  in  milk. ' 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  the  Colonel,  politely;  "I  will  let  you 
go  among  the  boys  and  extend  your  invitation.  Captain,  take 
trie  gentleman  among  the  boys." 

•  The  Captain,  knowing  what  this  meant,  handed  the  old  fellow 
ever  to  the  guard.  When  he  found  out  that  he  had  been  trapped, 
he  exclaimed : 

"  I  have  heard  of  Yankees,  but  this  out- Yankees  the  Yankees! 
Gentlemen,  what  do  you  want  with  me?  I  am  a  civilian," 

He  afterwards  found  out  what  he  was  taken  for. 


NORTHERN   BRAVERY. 

Colonel  Wilder's  official  report  of  the  battle  of  Munfordsville 
contains  the  whole  history  of  the  bravery  of  the  liberty  loving 
heroes  of  the  North.  He  says: 

"If  I  were  to  give  a  list  of  those  who  did  their  whole  duty,  it 
would  simply  be  a  muster  roll  of  all  who  were  there;  no  man. 
fiinched  or  held  back  a  particle." 


SOLDIER   LIFE.  35 

EXPRESSIONS  OF  WOUNDED  MEN.    ^   v 

Tt  is  somewhat  singular  that  the  first  word  that  leaps  to  thg 
lips  of  a  soldier  when  mortally  wounded,  is  the  name  of  hi* 
Maker.  It  is  an  involuntary  expression,  prompted  perhaps  hy  the 
innate  desire  of  the  human  souJ  to  call  upon  the  Supreme 
Power  in  its  last  moments. 

"My  God  !  I'm  shot!"  is  the  exclamation  of  nearly  all  those, 
especially  officers,  who  have  spoken  when  mortally  wounded. 

The  following  incident  is  an  evidence  of  this.  At  one  time 
during  a  battle,  four  out  of  six  cannon ters,  serving  at  one  of  the 
pieces,  were  wounded  at  the  same  time.  A  German  clapped  hia 
hand  to  his  temple,  crying  out: 

"Mein  Gott!   I'm  killed  !" 

Another  placed  his  hand  on  his  back,  saying: 

"O,  Lord!  I'm  shot!" 

Another  brought  his  hand  to  his  eye,  exclaiming. 

''Great  God  !   I'm  shot,  too." 

Another,  who  was  shot  in  the  neck,  said: 

"Lord!   I'm  burnt." 

The  simultaneous  movement  of  the  hands  to  the  parts  injure<t, 
and  the  accompanying  exclamation,  is  remarkably  singular. 


PHIL.  KEARNEY. 

General  Kearney,  killed  during  the  battles  before  Washington, 
was  a  remarkable  man.  During  his  residence  in  Paris,  General 
Kearney  was  the  constant  companion  of  those  officers  in  the 
French  army  most  celebrated  for  valiant  deeds.  He  delighted 
m  the  society  of  such  as  himself — soldiers  in  every  sense  of  the 
word.  He  profited  by  their  experience,  discussed  with  them 
military  matters,  adding  thus  to  his  own  acquirements  the  results 
of  the  study  and  experience  of  others. 

Before  the  commencement  of  the  present  struggle,  his  dwelling 
in  Paris  was  the  rendezvous  of  all  American  officers  passing 
through  France.  His  hospitality  was  unbounded,  his  courtesy 
that  of  the  hisrh  toned  gentleman.  We  have  seen  gathered 
around  his  table  there  those  now  prominent  in  the  rebel  army — 
Beauregard,  Lee,  the  Johnstons,  Stonewall  Jackson,  Magruder, 
and  others ;  and  no  doubt  many  a  pang  will  visit  their  hearts 
when  they  learn  that  Phil.  Kearney  was  their  victim.  We  are 
assured  that  these  rebel  leaders  respectfully  expressed,  in  their 
letters  to  secessionists  in  Paris,  their  dread  of  the  military  skill 
and  dash  of  "  Brave  Phil.  Kearney,"  and  the  wonder  that  he  was 
cot  long  since  appointed  to  some  high  and  responsible  post 


<* 

General  McClellan  wept  when  he  gazed  at  the  dead  body  of 
Ihe  hero;  and  when  questioned  as  to  who  should  take  the  com- 
mand of  the  departed,  replied:  "Who  could  replace  Phil 
Kearney?" 


AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 

If  the  Battle  field,  in  the  might  of  its  murderous  rattle,  w 
grand  and  terrific,  when  the  lull  comes,  when  the  excitement  is 
over,  it  is  equally  disgusting,  sickenins  and  heart-rending.  Here 
many  of  the  brave  soldiers  lay  as  they  had  met  their  death.  In 
one  part  of  the  battle  field  of  Antietam,  in  a  large  cornfield,  just 
at  the  edge  of  a  wood,  where  the  rebels  appeared  to  have  suffered 
the  most,  their  dead  lay  so  thick  that  their  dark  forms,  as  an  offi- 
cer remarked,  "lay  like  flies  in  a  sugar  bowl."  A  rifle-pit,  which 
was  charged  upon  by  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  contained  heaps 
of  dead  lying  just  as  they  had  fallen — one  upon  the  other.  In 
a  ravine,  three  rebels  had  met  their  death  apparently  while  eat- 
ing their  breakfast  A  plate  lay  before  them  with  food  upon  it, 
containing  a  spoon,  and  around  them  lay  the  scattered  fragments 
of  a  shell  which  had  doubtless  exploded  in  their  midst,  taking 
off  the  top  of  the  head  of  one,  and  giving  death  wounds  also  to 
the  others. 

It  is  a  sorrowful  sight  that  one  sees  in  such  a  place.  A  hos- 
pital on  the  battle  field  comprises  all  that  is  terrible  in  war  — 
broken  arms  and  legs,  bones  crushed  and  pulverized,  flesli  torn 
into  shreds,  eyes  shot  out,  fingers  shot  off,— a  place  of  groans, 
of  agony,  of  death — most  merciful  of  deliverers — of  bloody  tables 
and  amputations,  of  heroic  endurance,  and  strong  natures  grap- 
pling with  great  sufferings.  The  surgeons  and  nurses  worked 
assiduously.  Water  for  thirsty  lips,  blackened  with  gunpowder; 
stimulants  for  exhausted  natures;  baodages  and  dressings  f<HT 
flesh  wounds;  and  the  knife  for  desperate  cases. 

Stretched  on  straw,  in  front  of  a  barn  door,  lay  a  Massachu-> 
eetts  soldier — clear  complexion,  glossy  and  luxuriant  hair  and 
beard,  a  nose  exquisitely  chiseled,  an  eye  black  as  the  raven's 
wing  and  sparkling  as  a  carbuncle — a  man  that  would  at  onc« 
attract  attention  and  admiration  for  the  manly  beauty  of  the 
face  and  the  fine  proportion  of  the  body.  His  brother  knelt  be- 
side him,  smoothing  back  his  hair  and  clasping  his  already  stiff- 
ening hand.  No  words  were  spoken  and  no  tears  shed.  Turn- 
ing his  head  and  fixing  his  gaze  upon  the  sky,  the  dying  soldier 
lay  silent,  gasping,  the  muscles  about  the  mouth  contracted,  the 
nerves  quivering  with  pain.  Presently  the  color  fiided  from  th« 
lips,. the  face  whitened  till  it  looked  as  pure  and  clear  as  marble, 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  g7 

the  eyes  became  dull  and  staring,  a  shudder  passed  through  the 
frame,  and  the  spirit  of  the  patriot  and  Christian  stood  revealed 
in  the  clear  radiance  of  eternity.  The  agony  was  passed.  The 
surviving  brother,  having  seen  the  body  placed  in  a  position 
where  he  could  recover  it,  shouldered  his  musket,  and  witn  heavy 
feet  and  heart,  moved  slowly  forward  to  resume  his  place  in  the 
ranks,  and  his  position  in  front  of  danger.  This  was  but  one  of 
a  hundred  equally  touching  incidents.  Yet  there  was  a  wonder- 
ful buayancy  of  spirit  among  the  wounded.  They  talked  with 
great  animation  of  the  part  they  had  taken  in  the  fi^ht  of  the 
morning,  of  the  glorious  conduct  of  their  regiments  and  brigades, 
and  made  light  of  their  wounds  as  an  almost  inevitable  conse- 
quence, and  from  which  they  would  speedily  recover. 

It  is  strange  what  a  difference  there  is  in  the  composition  of 
human  bodies,  with  reference  to  the  rapidity  with  which  change 
goes  on  after  death.  Several  bodies  of  rebels  strewed  the  ground 
on  the  bank,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  bridge.  They  fought  behind 
trees,  and  fence-rail  and  stone-heap  barricades,  as  many  a  bullet- 
mark  in  these  defenses  amply  attested;  but  all  that  availed  not 
to  avert  death  from  these  poor  creatures.  They  had  become 
frightfully  discolored  in  the  face  and  much  swollen;  but  there 
was  one  young  rnaa  with  his  face  so  life-like,  and  even  hi« 
eye  so  bright,  it  seemed  almost  impossible  that  he  could  lie  dead. 
It  was  a  lovely -looking  corpse.  lie  was  a  young  man,  not 
twenty-five,  the  soft,  unshaved  brown  beard  hardly  asserting  tet 
the  fullness  of  the  owner's  manhood.  The  features  were  too 
small,  and  the  character  of  the  face  of  too  small  and  delicate  an 
order  to  answer  4^k  requirements  of  masculine  beauty.  la 
death  his  eje  was  ^fc«learest  blue,  and  would  not  part  with  its 
surpassingly  geutle^uniable,  good,  and  charming  expression. 
The  face  was  like  a  piece  of  wax,  only  that  it  surpassed  any 
piece  of  wax-work. 

One  other  young  man,  beardless  yet,  but  of  a  brawnier  type, 
furnished  another  example  of  slow  decomposition.  His  (ace  was 
not  quite  as  life-like;  still  one  could  easily  fancy  him  alive  to 
see  him  any  where  else  than  on  the  field  of  carnage;  and  strange, 
his  face  wore  an  expression  of  mirth,  as  if  he  had  just  witnessed 
something  amusing.  A  painful  sight  especially  was  the  body  of 
a  rebel  who  had  evidently  died  of  his  wounds,  after  lingering 
long  enough  at  least  to  apply  a  handkerchief  to  his  thurh  himself 
as  a  tourniquet  to  stop  the  bleeding.  His  comrades  wore  obliged 
to  leave  him,  and  our  surgeons  and  men  had  so  much  else  to  do 
that  they  could  not  attend  to  him  in  time.  Perhaps  nothing 
could  have  saved  him;  or  perhaps,  again,  a  skillful  surgeon's 
hand  might  have  restored  h«a  to  life,  love  and  usefulness.  But 
he  was  doomed  to  lie  ther«,  wreltering  in  the  hot  sun,  his  throat 


gg  INCIDENTS  Of 

crisped  with  thirst,  till  the  life-blood  oozed  away,  and  his  weak- 
ened vitality  kindly  suffered  him  to  die  a  pangless  death. 

Cool  and  stoical  as  one  becomes  by  being  continually  in  the 
midst  of  such. carnage,  the  battle-field  is  one  of  the  most  revolt- 
ing, horrible  and  heart-rending  sights  that  the  wildest  imagina- 
tion can  conjure  up.  In  some  places  the  dead  were  lying  two 
and  three  deep.  The  death  of  many  is  so  instantaneous  that 
their  arms  are  in  full  position  of  firing  their  pieces,  while  others 
still  retain  tbe  bitten  cartridge  in  their  mouths  or  hands.  Here 
lies  one  with  1m  head  buried  in  a  mud  hole,  perhaps  mortally 
wounded,  and  finished  by  the  water;  there  lies  another  like  the 
corpse  in  Peale's  "Court  of  death,"  with  his  back  across  a  log 
and  his  head  and  feet  in  the  water.  Two  others  were  found 
clasped  in  each  other's  arms,  but  it  was  the  firm  grip  of  hate  — 
the  clutch  of  death.  Each  had  received  frightful  wounds,  and 
their  sabres  lay  beside  them,  where  they  had  probably  been 
thrown  when  the  combatants  grasped  each  other. 

But  all  tliese  are  ever  the  sad  results  of  battle.  Who  shall 
comfort  the  bleeding  hearts  of  the  fathers  and  mothers,  brothers, 
sisters  and  wives  of  these  wounded  ones,  who  are,  by  the  relent- 
less hand  of  war,  torn  from  their  friends,  and  the  bosoms  of  the 
loved  ones  at  home?  There  is  one  comfort:  They  gave  their 
lives  a  sacrifice  to  the  liberty  of  their  country.  They  have 
fought,  and  bled,  and  died  for  that  banner  which  is  the  only  em- 
blem of  Liberty,  and  which,  in  consequence  of  their  valor,  shall 
yet  float  in  more  graceful  folds  in  the  blue  face  of  heaven,  a  type 
to  all  nations  of  the  triumph  of  Liberty. 


A  BRAVE  CRIPPLE. 

When  the  Second  Vermont  regiment  was  mustered  into  service, 
a  man  named  Thayer  presented  himself,  who  had  a  stiff  wrist. 
The  surgeon  considering  the  litnb  too  much  deformed,  rejected 
him.  It  seemed  to  be  a  severe  blow  to  the  young  fellow,  and  he 
actually  shed  tears  at  the  refusal. 

"  Bv  Gum  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  I'm  going  to  hunt  them  rebels  in 
epite  of  the  darned  old  doctor.  How  does  he  know  what  I  can 
do?" 

"You'd  better  go  cook,  Thayer,"  said  one. 

"  I'll  do  it,  by  gum !  "  he  exclaimed ;  and  he  was  as  good  as  his 
word,  and  when  the  regiment  went  into  service,  Thayer  was 
" slewing"  the  pots  and  kettles  generally. 

One  day  there  was  a  battle  to  be  fought. 

"  Say,  Tha'yer,"  said  a  soldier,  "  can't  you  go  out  and  give  the 
enemy  a  few  beans?" 


SOLDIER  LIFK.  g9 

"Darned  if  I  don't,"  said  Thayer.  "  I'll  give 'em  a  bean  or 
two  that  I  calculate  they'll  find  pretty  hard  to  digest." 

Accordingly,  when  the  regiment  went  into  action,  he  left  hie 
pots  and  kettles,  and  taking  his  rifle  sallied  forth.  At  last  a 
charge  was  made,  and  during  this,  tli-e  cripple  fo«»d  himself  face 
to  face  with  a  rebel  officer,  who  raised  his  sword  and  cried  out: 

"  Surrender! " 

"Calculate  I'd  better,"  said  Thayer,  and  immediately  shot  the 
officer  dead. 

Seeing  a  fine  sword,  sash  and  opera  class  hanging;  to  the  rebel. 
he  concluded  to  make  a  capture.  While  he  was  taking  them 
off,  a  comrade  said: 

''What  are  you  about  there,  Thayer?" 

"Calculate  this  is  my  game,  and  I've  a  right  to  the  feathers," 
he  answered. 

"  Don't  you  see  that  you'll  be  surrounded  in  two  minutes?" 
said  his  comrade,  and.  so  saying,  turned  and  ran.  Thayer  had 
no  sooner  secured  t!ie.traps,  than  he  found  his  comrade's  caution 
was  not  exaggerated,  for  three  or  four  bristling  bayonets  were 
pointing  in  the  direction  of  his  heart,  and,  before  he  could  make 
up  his  mind  what  to  do,  fo«r  bullets  burst  from  these  muskets 
in  the  same  direction;  but  he  was  not  wounded.  Looking  around, 
he  perceived  that  the  field  in  that  region  was  deserted,  the 
four  men  and  himself  being  the  only  ones  near.  Jn  the  distance, 
however,  he  saw  a  squad  of  his  own  regiment  coming  towards 
him.  Immediately  a  Yankee  trick  suggested  itself  to  him.  De- 
liberately raising  his  rifle,  and  leveling  it  upon  the  rebels,  he  or- 
dered them  to  stand.  They,  supposing  the  rifle  was  loaded,  and 
not  wishing  to  test  his  marksmanship,  did  as  they  were  bid.  The 
squad  of  the  Second,  seeing  the  status  of  affairs,  hurried  up,  and 
the  four  rebels  were  captured  and  brought  to  headquarters. 
When  he  arrived  at  camp,  Thayer  found  four  bullet  holes  in  hig 
olothing.  When  joked  about  his  narrow  escape,  he  replied: 

"A  narrow  escape's  as  good  as  a  wide  one,  if  a  fellow  don't 
get  killed." 


PERIJ.S  OF  A  SCOUT. 

Among  the  scouts  sent  out  during  the  battles  on  the  Potomae, 
was  Dick  R,  of  Ohio.  He  had  seen  some  perilous  and  thrilling 
adventures  among  the  rebels,  which  can  not  be  better  told  than 
in  his  own  words. 

I  was  out  scouting,  with  three  or  four  others,  when  we  got 
separated,  and  on  turning  a  bend  in  the  road,  I  suddenly  came 
upon  a  party  of  rebel  cavalry.  They  commanded  me  to  halt 


90  INCIDENTS  or 

I  replied  by  firing  my  revolver  «at  the  foremost,  and  then  putting 
spurs  to  my  horse  galloped  away;  but  the  rebels  were  not  dis- 
posed, so  easily,  to  lose  their  prey,  and  they  followed,  all  of  us 
going  at  a  break -neck  pace,  and  they  firing  upon  me  as  they 
could  get  near  enough.  Presently  I  perceived  a  pathway  in  the 
woods,  that  led  off  froin  the  main  road.  Into  this  path  I  turned 
my  horse,  as  I  thought  the  trees  would  afford  me  a  better  chance 
to  escape  them  and  their  bullets.  My  horse  was  fleet  and  used 
to  brush,  and  1  gained  on  them  a  little.  I  began  to  think  my 
chance  was  tolerable,  when  I  came  to  a  large  tree  that  had  blown 
down  directly  across  my  path,  and  when  I  attempted  to  leap  it, 
my  horse  stumbled  and  fell,  throwing  me  off,  and  before  I  could 
remount  the  rebels  were  upon  me. 

."Surrender!"  shouted  a  sergeant,  "surrender,  you  d — d  blue- 
bellied  Yankee,  or  I'll  blow  your  heart  out!" 

And  he  pointed  his  revolver  at  me,  which  motion  was  followed 
by  the  rest  of  the  crowd. 

"See  here,  old  covy,"  said  T,  "put  up  your  pop-gun,  and  take 
me  prisoner  if  you  like;  but  don't  murder  a  fellow  in  that  bar- 
barous manner." 

Of  course  I  was  a  prisoner,  and  thought  it  was  the  better  part 
of  valor  to  fall  in  and  trust  to  chance  and  strategy  to  get  me  out 
So  I  was  soon  in  line,  toted  up  to  the  rebel  camp,  and  brought 
before ^the  notorious  Stonewall.  The  General  eyed  ine  about 
one  minnte,  and  then  said  : 

"Well,  sir,  they  tell  me  you  are  a  Yankee  spy." 

Whew!  thought  I,  this  is  more  than  I  bargained  for;  but  1 
was  determined  to  put  a  jolly  face  on  the  raatttrr,  and  I  said: 

"Yes,  General,  that's  what  they  say;  but  you  rebels  are  such 
blamed  liars  there's  no  knowing  when  to  believe  what  they  say. 
I  thought  the  Yankees  could  out  lie  any  other  nation,  but  hang 
me  if  you  fellows  can't  beat  us." 

"Ah,"  said  the  General,  "You  don't  seem  to  have  a  very  ex- 
alted opinion  of  your  brethren." 

''Why  should  I  have?"  said  I.  "I've  lost  and  suffered  a  good 
deal  in  that  same  Yan  ^ee  nation."  ,' 

"That's  strange,"  said  the  General.  "  Don't  the  Union  officers 
treat  their  soldrers  well?" 

"They're  like  all  other  officers,"  said  I,  "good  and  bad  among 
them;  but  that's  not  where  the  shoe  pinches.  To  make  a  long 
story  short,  although  I  live  in  Virginia,  I  was  favorably  disposed 
to  the  Union  cause,  but  the  beggarly  Lincolnites  wouldn't  believe 
it;  so  they  fed  their  troops  on  my  granary  and  cupboard  till  I 
was  about  ruined,  and  when  I  wanted  pay  they  told  me  1  was  a 
fool,  and  said  if  I  was  a  grod  Union  man,  I  ouaht  to  be  glad  to 
aid  the  Government.  One  day  one  of  the  officers  told  me  if  I 
would  enlist  th.ey  wauld  think  better  of  me,  and  instead  of  de- 


SOLDIER   LIFE.  QJ 

stroying  my  property  would  protect  it  So  the  upshot  of  it  was, 
as  my  loyalty  was  doubted,  I  was  compelled  to  enlist  to  save  my 
property." 

"That's  a  plausible  story,"  said  the  General,  "but  not  a  very 
probable  one.  Why  didn't  you  come  into  our  lines  at  once  if 
you  wanted  protection?" 

"That's  just  what  I'm  coming  at,"  said  I.  "I  was  sent  oat 
with  a  scouting  party,  and  so  I  kept  on  scouting  till  1  got  within 
your  lines  and  was  taken  by  your  cavalry." 

"Take  care,  young  man,"  said  the  Gederal,  sternly;  "I  under* 
•trvnd  you  attempted  to  escape." 

This  was  a  poser;  but  as  I  had  got  under  way,  I  thought  I 
must  try  and  make  the  ripple.  I  felt  tolerable  streaked  about  the 
result,  too,  but  I  said,  earnestly : 

"Of  course  I  did.  Who  wouldn't,  with  a  half  dozen  horses 
and  bullets  after  him?  I  hadn't  time  to  say  surrender,  and  be- 
sides the  officer  cursed  me.  1  don't  like  to  be  cursed,  it's  against 
my  principles;  and  then  [  was  so  mighty  mad  to  see  such  beastly 
cowards,  that  I  half  made  up  my  mind  to  get  away  from  both 
sides,  and  go  to  Canada." 

The  General  looked  at  me  and  then  at  his  staff,  and  they  aH 
smiled,  while  I  looked  aa  sober  as  a  deacon.  I  had  heard  that 
the  General  was  a  pious  old  fellow,  and  I  thought  this  would 
tickle  him. 

"Are  you  willing,"  said  he,  "  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  fo 
the  Southern  Confederacy,  and  fight  in  our  cause?" 

"  To  be  sure,"  said  I ;  "I  told  you  before  that  I  had  been  try- 
ing to  get  into  your  lines.  But  1  don't  want  to  fight  for  you  if  I 
am  not  protected  in  my  rights.  T  want  my  property  respected." 

"Where  do  you  live?"  asked  he. 

"At  Phillippi,"  said  I,  "and  I've  got  a  nice  property  up  there, 
and  1  want  it  to  be  taken  care  of." 

"Well,"  said  the  General,  "we're  going  up  that  way  shortly, 
and,  whether  you  go  with  us  or  net,  we  will  protect  your  prop- 
erty. In  the  meantime  I  will  think  of  your  offer,  but  for  the 
present,  as  the  evidence  is  against  you,  you  will  be  placed  under 
guard,  for  you  Yankees  are  too  slippery  to  be  trusted  with  tdb 
much  liberty.  Events  show  that  you  don't  know  how  to  use  it." 

After  this  I  was  kept  under  guard,  and  was  treated,  perhaps, 
as  well  as  they  were,  and  nothing  to  brag  of  at  that.  The  next 
day  there  was  a  great  battle.  '1  here  was  much  commotion  in 
tfee  rebel  camp;  and,  for  fear  that  1  should  be  recaptured,  a  guard 
of  two  was  detailed  to  take  me  far  back  to  the  rear.  We  could 
distinctly  hear  the  thundering  of  the  cannon,  and  we  knew  that 
a  great  battle  was  commenced.  I  overheard  the  guard  chuck- 
ling at  the  idea  that  they  were  exempt.  This  put  a  flea  in  my 
ear.  I  knew  they  were  cowards,  and  I  determined  to  manage 


92  INCIDENTS  or 

them  accordingly.  My  canteen  had  not  been  taken  from  me, 
and,  as  lack  would  have  it,  was  half  full  of  tolerable  "rot  gut." 
I  also  had  in  my  pocket  a  large  powder  of  morphine,  which  the 
surgeon  had  given  ine  a  few  days  before,  to  take  occasionally: 
this  I  slipped  into  the  canteen.  After  this  was,  accomplished,  I 
appeared  to  take  long  swigs  at  the  canteen.  At  last  the  bait 
took;  the  boys  got  a  smell  of  the  whisky,  and  one  of  them,  turn- 
ing to  me,  said : 

"Look  here,  Yankee,  that  whisky  smells  mighty  good.  Let 
us  help  you  drink  it,  or  you'll  be  so  drunk,  soon,  that  we  shall 
have'  to  carry  you." 

"All  ri«rht,  boys,"  said  I,  "  help  yourselves." 

They  did  help  themselves.  The  beggarly  rebels  soon  finished 
the  whisky,  morphine  and  all. 

"It  tastes  mighty  bitter,"  said  one.     "What's  in  it?" 

''Quinine,"  said  I.  "I  always  put  quinine  in  my  whisky  this 
time  o'  year." 

This  satisfied  them,  and  I  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
my  guard  tolerably  drunk, — too  drunk  to  walk,  and  so  they  tum- 
bled down,  and  they  did  not  get  up  again  so  n.  Finding  they 
were  getting  pretty  stupid  and  sleepy,  1  shook  them  and  said : 

"See  here,  guard,  tl-.is  is  a  shame.  How  do  you  expect  to 
guard  me.  drunk  as  you  are?" 

"  Yes,  jruard,"  muttered  one.  "  Your — turn  now — you  guard 
us.  Don't  leave — or — by  G — d,  I'll  shoot  you  when — wake  up." 

"But  hold  on,"  said  I!  "how  do  you  expect  me  to  guard  you 
when  I  don't  know  the  password  ?" 

By  vigorous  strokes  and  punches,  I  so  far  routed  him  that  he 
muttered: 

"  liattie-snake ! " 

1  had  no  doubt  but  this  was  the  magical  " open  sesame"  that 
was  to  give  me  my  liberty.  In  five  minutes  the  men  were  sound 
asleep.  The  place  where  we  were  was  a  deep  gulley  in  the 
woods,  and  about  a  mile  distant  was  the  rebel  camp.  My  pur- 
pose WHS  soon  fixed.  I  swapped  clothes  with  one,  which  was 
considerable  trouble,  as  he  was  as  flimsy  as  a  rag;  but  1  suc- 
ceeded at  last  in  making  the  exchange,  and  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  the  drunken  rebel  nicely  buttoned  up  in  Yankee  regi- 
mentals. Takinir  his  arms  I  hurried  away.  When  I  got  out 
through  the  woods  I  came  into  a  road,  and  had  no  sooner  dona 
BO  than  I  saw  a  sijuad  of  rebel  soldiers. 

"Halt!"  was  the  word,  which  1  responded  to  with  soldierly 
precision. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?"  said  the  Lieutenant  command 
ing. 

1  told  him  that  two  of  us  were  guarding  a  prisoner,  and  that 


SOLDIER  Line;  93 

ray  comrade  and  the  prisoner  were  both  so  dead  drunk  I  could 
do  nothing  with  them. 

"  That's  a  h — 1  of  a  story,"  replied  the  Lieutenant.  "  I  believe 
you're  some  d — d  Yankee  spy.  I've  a  mind  to  clip  your  head 
off,  on  suspicion."  And  he  raised  his  sword. 

"Let  him  prove  what  he  says  by  showing  us  the  men,"  sug- 
gested one  of  the  squad. 

At  this  they  all  laughed,  supposing  I  was  bluffed.  But  when 
I  readily  assented  to  this,  they  followed  me,  cautiously,  however, 
as  I  suppose  they  feared  I  was  leading  them  into  ambush.  When 
the  Lieutenant  saw  the  men — one  in  butternut  and  one  in  Yan- 
kee blue — as  1  had  represented,  he  gave  each  a  hearty  kick  and 
•aid : 

"  Well,  this  is-  a  h  —  1  of  a  mesa.  What  are  you  going  to  do 
about  it?" 

"Going  to  hunt  a  wagon  and  have  them. carried  on,"  said  I. 

This  was  satisfactory,  and  we  parted.  Finding  it  would  not 
do  to  take  the  road,  I  skulked  around  in  the  woods  all  day. 
When  night  came  1  took  as  i  supposed  a  route  that  would  lead 
me  to  the  Union  camp.  All  night  i  climbed  about  over  the  hills; 
twice  1  was  hailed  by  rebel  pickets,  but  rattlesnake  carried  me 
safely  by.  Just  at  daylight  I  discovered  a  camp.  1  could  ewe 
the  tents  twinkling  through  the  strip  of  woods  before  me,  and 
I  felt  certain  it  was  the  Federal  camp. 

When  I  had  got  about  half  way  through  the  piece  of  woods,  I 
•aw  something  that  completely  took  all  the  exultation  of  my 
delivery  out  of  me.  Well,  I've  been  in  many  a  perilous  position. 
I  have  had  bayonets,  bullets  and  bowiea  rummaging  round  in  the 
region  of  my  lojal  bosom;  but  never,  in  all  my  life  was  I  so 
astonished  and  chagrined — so  utterly  taken  down.  There,  in 
the  bottom  of  a  broad,  deep  ravine,  not  ten  steps  from  me,  lay 
the  two  drunken  guards!  Lord!  this  was  a  pretty  fix,  to  be 
•ure.  1  had  accomplished  a  feat  equal  to  the  hero  of  Mother 
Goose,  who  went 

"  Fourteen  miles  in  fifteen  day*) 
And  never  looked  behind  him." 

One  of  the  guard  was  sitting  up,  and  endeavoring  to  rouse  the 
supposed  prisoner;  for  he  was  still  too  much  stupefied  to  recog- 
nize the  cheat.  Perceivip?  me,  he  sung  out: 

"Say,  Bill,  this  d — d  Yankee's  too  drunk  to  wake  up.  What's 
to  be  done  with  him?"  Have  we  been  here  all  night?  Lord! 
what'll  the  old  General  «ay?  Come  over  here." 

"No,"  said  I,  feigning  his  comrade's  voice,  "We've  been 
drunk  here  all  night,  and  I'm  going  to  report  before  he  wakes 
up,  or  they'll  have  us  in  the  guard  house  You  stay  and  watch 
him,  while  I  go." 

"No,  let's  wake  the  devilish  lubber  up,  and  take  him  where 


94  INCIDENTS  or 

we're  going  to.     But  blame  me  if  I  know  where  that  is.     Don't 

go-" 

''  But  I  will,"  said  I ;  and,  hurrying  away,  I  was  soon  out  of 
sight  This  day  1  hid  myself  in  a  hollow  tree,  and,  when  night 
cume,  1  took  a  good  look  at  the  stars,  and,  getting  my  bearings, 
started  again  for  the  Union  camp.  I  several  times  came  upon 
the  rebel  pickets,  but  the  ''  Rattlesnake  "  snaked  me  along  with- 
out any  trouble:  all  but  one,  the  last  one  I  came  to.  He  was  a 
sprightly  little  fellow,  and  appeared  to  be  determined  that  1 
should  go  with  him  to  headquarters.  I  offered  every  excuse  I 
could  think  of,  but  it  was  of  no  avail,  so  I  at  last  agreed  to  go, 
and  we  started.  1  went  with  him  about  half  a  mile,  and,  during 
this  time,  I  engaged  him  in  conversation  about  the  affairs  of  th« 
war,  playing  the  rebel,  of  course,  and  talking  in  a  jolly  way,  till, 
finding  him  a  little  unguarded,  1  sprang  upon  him  and  took  him 
down,  and,  before  he  knew  what  was  the  matter,  he  was  unarmed. 

"  Now,  you  beggarly  whelp,"  said  I,  as  I  snatched  his  gun  and 
sprung  away  from  him,  "about  face,  and  put,  or  I'll  shoot  you 
in  a  minute." 

The  fellow  was  scared,  sure,  and  lost  no  time  in  getting  out  of 
my  sight.  It  was  now  beginning  to  grow  light,  and  I  found  my- 
self on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  with  the  Federal  camp  far  in 
the  distance.  As  there  was  no  other  mode  of  conveyance,  I  was 
forced  to  swim  the  river,  which  was  no  easy  job,  considering  I 
had  two  muskets  to  carrry.  However,  I  got  safely  over,  and 
was  ju.st  climbing  the  bank,  when  a  musket  was  leveled  at  me, 
and  a  clear  voice  rung  out: 

"Stand!  who  goes  there?" 

This  1  knew  was  a  Union  picket;  so  I  told  him  I  had  been 
taken  prisoner,  and  had  escaped;  had  been  two  days  without 
eating;  and  I  wanted  him  to  let  me  go,  or  take  me  at  uiice  into 
camp,  where  1  could  get  something  to  eat,  and  some  dry  clothes 
1  had  no  doubt  but  he  believed  this,  and  would  immediately  com- 
ply; but  the  answer  was  an  ominous  click  of  the  trigger. 

"  1  believe  you're  a  real  Butternut  Rebel,"  said  the  picket, 
"and  I've  a  notion  to  give  you  a  pop,  any  how." 

"  But  I  ain't,"  said  I. 

•    "  What  are  you  doing  with  them  butternut  regimentals  on 
then,  and  them  two  muskets?"  said  he. 

1  saw  my  fix,  and  hungering,  dripping  and  shivering  as  I  was, 
I  stood  there  before  that  grinning  musket  till  I  had  told  the 
whole  story.  Finally  upon  my  giving  him  the  names  of  our 
Colonel  and  Captain,  and  mentioning  several  other  matters  fa- 
miliar to  him,  he  was  satisfied,  for  he  belonged  to  the  same 
regiment  that  I  did. 


SOLDIER   L1FK.  95 

LOYAL  MICHAEL. 

An  Irishman  of  the  60th  New  York,  was  taken  prisoner,  and 
by  some  strategic  movement  managed  to  shoot  his  captor  and 
escape.  Taking  a  circuitous  route,  and  skulking  about  for  half 
a  day,  he  came  upon  a  group  of  officers.  Rushing  into  the  midst 
of  them,  and  fantastically  kicking  up  his  heels  in  true  Irish 
pclka  style,  he  said  : 

"Be  Jasus,  but  I'm  safe  at  last!  Hurray  for  the  Shtars  and 
Shtripes  iv  me  own  blissid  Ameriky,  an'  the  divil  flay  away  wid 
the  ribbels ! " 

"Helloe,  Paddy,  what's  the  matter?"  said  one. 

"Mather  is  it?  Begorra !  there'll  be  mather  enough,  out  in 
the  field  yonder  where  I  laid  the  dirtliy  spalpeen  that  'ud  be 
afther  stailin'  me  body.  Divil  a  won  o'  them's  able  to  take  the 
likes  iv  a  69th.  Me  name's  not  Paddy,  at  all,  at  all,  but  Michael 
O'Graff,  jist.  At  yer  sarvice,  sir." 

"You  were  taken  prisoner  by  the  rebels,  were  you?"  said  the 
•fficer.' 

"I  was,  si:,  an'  sure  it's  r.D  disgrace  if  I  get  away,  sir." 

"And  vou  escaped?" 

"That's  thrue  for  yer,  sir. 

"And  you  killed  your  captor? 

"1  did,  yer  honor,  and  his  thavin'  carkiss  lies  out  in  the  field 
beyant,  a  proof  iv  it,  sir,  and  an  imblim  iv  me  currige." 

"  You  seem  to  be  a   loyal  Union  man,"  continued   the  officer. 

"Niver  a  loyaller  iver  lammed  aribbil,"  answered  Michael,  tri- 
umphantly. 

"Very  good,  sir."  Then,  turning  to  a  subordinate,  much  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  Irishman,  he  continued: 

"Lieutenant,  secure  this  prisoner.". 

"Holy  Jasus!"  exclaimed  Michael;  "  What  have  I  done?  Be 
gorra.  thin,  I'll  make  me  word  good  wid  ye,  an'  may  the  divil 
take  the  hindmost."  So  saying,  and  before  they  were  aware  of 
his  object,  he  turned  and  ran  with  all  his  might;  but  the  Lieu 
tenant  s  horse  could  outrun  him,  so  the  loyal  Michael  was  again 
a  prisoner  of  war. 

It  was  General  Wilcox  and  staff  whom  he  had  encountered. 


THE  DRAFTED  EXEMPT. 

Among  the  able-bodied  men  drafted  frjm  one  of  the  Heidel- 
bergs,  there  was  an  obese  specimen  of  Humanity,  but  whom  the 
chances  hit  as  one  of  the  elect.  When  he  received  his  ticket, 


96  INCIDENTS  or 

he  hastened   to  Reading,  and,  knowing  where   JiveJ  the  cutest 
apecimen  of  a  lawyer,  he  went  straight  to  his  office.     Said  he: 

"  I'm  drafted." 

"The  deuce  you  are;  it  must  have  been  a  strong  man  that* 
drafted  you." 

"  Well,  I'm  drafted,  and  I  want  to  get  out.  Can't  march.  I'M 
pay  well." 

"  Very  well." 

The  twain  proceeded  to  the  office  of  the  Commissioner. 

"  Here,  Commissioner,"  said  the  lawyer,  "  I  have  got  a  substi- 
tute." 

Commissioner  looked  at  the  wheezy  specimen  for  some  time. 

''He  won't  do;  can't  march." 

"  But  he  must  do,"  blustered  out  the  lawyer,  "and  you  know 
he  will  do,  too." 

"He  can't  march:  he  wont  do,  and  1  can't  take  him." 

This  was  what  our  smart  friend  wanted. 

"He  won't  do,  eh?" 

''No,  he  won't." 

"Well,  then,  scratch  his  name  off  the  list;  he  is  drafted^  and 
wants  to  be  exempted." 

The  Commissioner  looked  at  the  lawyer  for  about  a  minute, 
then  regarded  the  fat  draft,  and,  without  speaking  a  word, 
scratched  off  the  name. 


CHIVALRY  vs.  THE  YANKEE. 

There  is  considerable  difference  in  the  fighting  policy  of  th* 
two  American  armies.  The  contest  is  like  that  of  an  iceberg 
and  a  volcano:  there  is  sizzling,  smoking  and  gassing.  Some  01 
the  fire  is  put  otit  and  some  of  the  ice  melted.  The  following 
joke  tells  the  whole  story : 

A  rebel  officer  once  remarked  that  the  success  of  the  rebel 
armv  was  attributable  to  its  fiery  spirit,  and  the  violence  with 
which  it  rushed  into  battle,  and  they  thus  beat  the  Yankees 
before  tliev  were  through  with  their  prayers. 

"That  is  so,"  remarked  a  bystander.  "You  fellows  threaten 
an^  then  take  a  drink,  the*  you  brag  of  your  chivalry  and  take 
an«ther  drink,  and  when  you  are  too  drunk  to  know  any  better, 
yon  rush  franticallv  into  danger.  But  the  Yankee  prays  and 
then  cleans  his  mnsket,  prays  asrain.  attends  to  his  family  and 
prnys  again,  and  then,  after  this  third  prayer,  you  rebels  may 
look  out  for  hell. 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  97 

A  DETERMINED  PATRIOT. 

A  young  man  with  a  family,  a  cashier  in  a  large  mercantile 
house  in  Boston,  enlisted  in  a  cavalry  company.  His  employer 
did  not  wish  to  part  with  him,  and  offered  to  raise  his  wagea 
from  eight  to  twelve  hundred' dollars  a  year.  But  the  soldier's 
reply  was: 

''My  country  needs  my  services,  and  no  amount  of  money 
can  change  my  purpose." 


TURNING  THE  TABLES. 

Major  Clark  Wright  and  his  rangers  were  a  source  of  great 
terror  to  the  rebels  of  Missonri.  When  the  war  broke  out  he 
had  no  hesitation  in  expressing  his  sentiments;  but  these  senti- 
ments did  not  please  some  of  the  rebel  brethren  of  the  Baptist 
church,  in  that  vicinity,  and  they  accordingly  determined  that 
he  should  leave  the  country,  and  a  committee  of  three  was  ap- 
pointed to  inform  him  of  their  decision.  But  one  of  them,  who,  al- 
though an  ardent  rebel,  was  still  a  friend  to  Wright,  informed  him 
of  wl':it.was  to  take  place.  Wright  and  his  wife  then  held  council, 
the  result  of  which  was  that  they  would  fight. 

When  the  committee  called,  they  hesitated  about  broaching 
the  subject,  and  began  stammering. 

"Stop!"  said  Wright;  "  1  know  your  business,  and  before  you 
tell  it  1  wish  to  say  a  word.  I  have  just  promised  iny  wife  that 
I  would  blow  hell  out  of  the  first  man  that  told  me  of  it,  and  by 
the  Eternal  God,  I'll  do  it!" 

The  committee  saw  murder  in  his  eye,  and  concluded  to  post- 
pone the  announcement.  The  next  Sunday  the  church  appointed 
a  larger  committee,  it  being  no  less  than  a  whole  company  of 
rebels,  properly  officered.  Wright's  friend  informed  him  of  this 
also,  and,  when  the  day  arrived  when  he  was  to  be  ejected  from 
the  State,  Wright  gave  a  large  party  and  secretly  sent  for  all  hia 
friends  to  come  and  see  him.  This  brought  300  armed  men, 
who  promised  to  back  him  to  the  death.  They  then  secreted 
themselves  in  a  cornfield  back  of  the  house,  and  awaited  their 
time. 

After  a  while,  eighty  armed  men  rode  up  to  his  house,  and  the 
Captain  informed  Wright  of  their  mission. 

"  Won't  you  give  me  two  days  to  settle  up  my  affairs?"  asked 
Wright, 

"Two  days  be  d — d!"  exclaimed  the  pompous  Captain,  "I'll. 
give"  you  just  five  minutes  to  pack  up  your  traps  and  leave." 


93  INCIDENTS  OF 

"But  1  can't  get  ready  in  five  minutes,"  urged  Wright.  "I 
have  a  fine  property  here,  a  happy  home,  and  if  you  drive  me 
off  1  am  a  beggar.  I  have  done  nothing  to  deserve  this." 

"To  h — 1  with  your  beggary,  you  must  travel! "  said  the  Cap- 
tain. 

"Give  me  two  hours!" 

'•I'll  give  you  just  five  minutes,  not  a  second  longer;"  per- 
•isted  the  Captain.  "  If  you  ain't  out  in  that  time  I'll  blow  your 
cussed  abolition  heart  out!" 

"Well,  if  Imust  1  must,"  said  Wright  manfully,  and,  turning 
towards  his  house  as  if  in  deep  despair,  gave  a  shrill  whistle; 
and  immediately  300  men  sprang  from  their  concealment,  and 
surrounded  the  astonished  Captain  and  his  company. 

"Ah!  Captain,"  said  Wright  beseechingly,  "won't  you  grant 
me  two  days  —  two  hours  —  to  prepare  myself  for  beggary  and 
starvation?" 

The  Captain  at  last  found  voice  to  say,  "Don't  kill  me." 

"Kill  you!"  exclaimed  Wright,  vehemently,  "No,  you  black 
Jivered  coward !  I  f  I  want  that  dirty  job  done  I'll  get  one  of  my 
niggers  to  do  it.  (Jet  down  from  that  horse  !  " 

The  result  of  the  matter  was  that  the  whole  company  dis- 
mounted and  laid  down  their  arms,  and  then,  as  they  filed  out, 
were  sworn  to  preserve  their  allegiance  inviolate  to  the  United 
States.  An  hour  after  Mr.  Wright  had  organized  a  force  of  240 
men  for  the  war,  and  by  acclamation  was  elected  Captain.  The 
next  Sunday  he  started  with  his  command  to  join  the  National 
troops  under  Lyon,  stopping  long  enough  on  his  way  to  surround 
the  Hard  Shell  Church,  which  had  been  the  cause  of  his  troubles. 
After  the  service  was  over,  he  administered  the  oath  of  allegi- 
ance to  every  one  present,  including  the  reverend  Pecksniff  who 
officiated,  and  then  left  them  to  plot  treason  and  worship  God  in 
their  own  peculiar,  pious  and  harmonious  manner. 


ADVENTURES  OF  A  UNION  PRISONER. 

A  prisoner,  although  limited  in  his  liberties,  has  considerable 
opportunity  for  studying  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  enemy. 

At  Baldwin  we  first  met  the  motley  currency  of  Dixie — Con- 
federate notes,  cotton  bills,  due  bills,  shinplasters,  and,  most 
curious  of  all,  railroad  money  printed  on  second-hand  paper, 
•which  had  been  used  for  ledgers  and  day-books.  Think,  ye 
antiquiiruins,  of  pecuniary  palimpsests! 

I  said  to  the  officer  of  the  guard: 

"You  seem  to  have  plenty  of  money  hereabouts?" 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  •§§ 

""Oh,  yes — all  you've  got  to  do  is  to  print  the  head  of  a  woman 
on  a  piece  of  brown  paper,  and  it  will  pass. 

We  were  generally  respectfully  treated  by  the  rebel  soldiery; 
the  abuse  we  received  almost  invariably  came  from  non-combat- 
ants, women,  citizens,  and  the  like.  One  of  our  party  of  captives 
— the  list  swelled  as  we  proceeded — was  loudly  attacked  with 
curses  by  a  person  in  uniform,  who  rode  up  to  him  in  the  main 
street  of  luka.  The  Illinois  officer  quietly  responded: 

"  What  is  your  rank,  sir  ?" 

"First  Lieutenant." 

*'In  the  Quartermaster's  department ?" 

"Yea." 

"1  thought  so." 

«Why?;> 

"Because  I  have  noticed,  in  both  armies,  that  the  men  who 
are  most  malignant  toward  prisoners  are  those  who  never  get 
where  the  ballets  whistle!" 

(Great  discomfiture  of  the  Quartermaster,  and  lond  latighter 
and  applause  from  the  rebel  soldiers  who  stood  by.) 

Next  morning  we  were  dispatched  by  rail  to  Tupelo,  some 
twenty  miles  further  South,  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  road.  1  was 
met  at  the  cars  by  a  Captain  of  General  Moore's  staff,  who  took 
me  to  breakfast,  and  played  the  host  for  the  better  part  of  the 
day.  What  a  tall,  round-shouldered,  amiable  Texan  he  was,  to 
be  sure !  A  graduate  of  West  Point,  a  Secessionist  from  the 
beginning,  a  devotee  of  the  doctrine  of  State  rights  and  South- 
ern wrongs,  he  was  yet  as  gentle  as  a  woman  in  his  discourse. 
All  that  bright  September  morning  we  sat  in  the  shade  of  a 
broad  piazza — the  house  was  deserted,  as  about  half  the  houses 
in  Dixie  seem  to  be — and  talked  of  history  and  politics.  Of 
course  we  laughed  at  each  other'-s  "extreme  views,"  and  came 
to  no  agreement  on  any  proposition. 

"  You  of  the  North,*'  s&id  he,  "  have  invaded  our  country." 

"No,  sir;  Mississippi  is  a  part  of  our  country  Do  the  police 
of  New  York  invade  the  Five  Points  when  they  go  there  to  quell 
a  riot?" 

"  You  of  the  North  have  contracted  an  enormous  debt.  How 
are  you  going  to  pay  it?" 

•'  Fund  it  and  pay  the  interest.  And  you  of  the  South  have 
a  littte  debt  of  several  hundred  millions.  How  do  ycu  intend 
to  pay  that?" 

"  We  do  not  intend  to  pay  it.  As  soon  as  the  wai  is  ended 
we  will  repudiate  it?" 

"Will  that  be  honest?" 

"  Certainly;  we  owe  it  only  to  our  own  people,  and  they  may 
as  wull  lose  the  principle  outright  as  to  be  compelled,  year  aftcc- 
ye;u-,  to  pay  eight  per  cent  interest  on  it." 


|QQ  INCIDENTS  QF 

Shade  of  Ricardof  there  was  a  new  idea  in  political  economy. 

"But,'  said  I,  "would  not  that  be  an  outrage  to  the  individ- 
ual? Suppose  your  entire  fortune  consisted  of  Confederate 
tfcrip,  and  your  neighbor's  of  land  and  negroes,  would  repudia- 
tion affect  you  both  alike?" 

"Oh,  we'll  see  that  each  man  has  hia  proper  share  of  Confed- 
erate scrip!  " 

Perhaps  you  will  hardly  believe  this  report  of  our  talk;  it  is 
aevertheless  true.  On  what  a  foundation  of  political  and 
economical  falsities  is  this  Confederacy  reared  up? 

That  evening  we  left  Tupelo  for  Jackson,  by  the  way  of  the 
Mobile  and  Ohio,  and  Southern  railroads.  We  saw  a  great  deal 
of  corn  on  the  route  and  very  little  cotton,  but  the  corn  was  not, 
as  a  rule,  good.  There  is  a  large  tract  just  before  Tupelo  which 
is  a  fair  crop.  It  is  said  to  contain  400,000  acres.  If  so,  it 
would  be  an  excellent  idea  for  our  army  to  move  down  there. 

We  did  not  see  an  open  store  between  Baldwin  and  Jackson, 
a  distance  of  more  than  two  hundred  miles.  I  suppose  their 
scanty  stocks  ot  goods  have  been  sold  out  and  cannot  be  replen- 
ished. 

"it  looks  like  Sunday,"  said  one  of  our  party — "happy  land. 

Where  congregations  ne'er  break  up, 
And  Sabbaths  never  end." 

From  the  moment  I  became  an  involuntary  visitor  in  Dixie,  I 
found  myself  an  object  of  interest. 

My  boots  were  the  attraction.  No  feat  of  arms,  or  evident 
superiority  of  mental  endowment,  made  me  the  cynosure  of 
rebel  eyes. 

Leather  is  not,  in  the  Confederacy.  The  paper  blockade 
excludes  it.  My  boots  were  made  by  Fulton  street  Brooks,  were 
of  the  cavalry  pattern — worth,  perhaps,  ten  dollars.  Firstly, 
my  guerrilla  friends  tried  to  steal  them  while  1  was  asleep  on 
the  first  night  of  my  captivity;  so  says  the  wounded  soldier  who 
lay  awake  and  heard  them  discuss  the  plan.  At  Baldwin  officers 
and  men  alike  worshipped  those  boots,  and  were  loud  in  verbal 
adoration.  At  Tupelo  I  was  oiTered  one  hundred  dollars  in 
Confederate  scrip  for  them. 

Nothing  tends  to  raise  the  prices  of  the  necessaries  more 
than  a  blockade,  except  it  be  a  famine,  and  it  is  even  productive 
of  that.  On  my  journey  from  Tupelo  to  Jackson,  a  tall  young 
Texan  stood  on  the  platform  some  thirty  minutes,  and  gazed  at 
me  with  rapt  attention.  Then  he  took  courage,  came  in,  and 
pat  down  by  ray  side.  His  conversation  may  be  condensed  to 
this: 

"Fine  day.  Whar  are  you  from?  You  can  never  subjugate 
the  South.  Wo  have  plenty  of  arms,  plenty  of  provisions, 


SOLDIER  LIFH.  ]y  j 

plenty  of  everything.  Good  Lord!  what  splendid  boots  thos« 
are ! ' 

"Arc  boots  scarce  in  the  Confederacy?" 

"I  paid  twenty-five  dollars  for  those  shoes."  And  he  pointedl 
to  a  pair  of  flimsy  pumps  he  wore. 

"  Why  don't  you  make  leather  in  the  Confederacy?" — I  said. 

"  Don't  know  how ;  but  they  are  making  clay  pipes  in  Alabama," 

And  this  was  said  with  an  air  of  exultation,  as  if  to  make  a 
red  clay  tobacco  pipe  were  a  triumph  of  mechanical  art 

It  seems  that  thus  far  the  prosecution  of  the  war  has  proved, 
to  the  South,  a  bootless  task.  Forgive  the  feeble  joke. 

1  wore  during  my  trip  an  old  felt  hat,  the  ugliest  on  thia 
continent,  which  had  been  thrown  aside  by  my  Colonel.  Ai 
Tupelo  I  said  to  the  genial  Captain  who  entertained  me : 

''  If  I  had  foreseen  this  visit  I  would  have  worn  some  decent 
head  gear." 

"  Humph  !    that  hat  is  worth  thirty  dollars  in  this  town." 

After  this,  as  I  gazod  upon  the  "shocking  bad  hats"  of  these 
rebel  natives,  1  donned  my  dilapidated  "tile"  with  greater  sat- 
isfaction.' 

We  reached  the  capital  of  the  State  about  5  o'clock  Monday 
afternoon.  It  is  a  decent  looking  town,  of  three  or  four  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  with  that  shiftless  look  which  results  from  the 
climate  and  the  "institution."  We  were  marched  about  the 
Streets  for  a  time  in  a  rather  indefinite  manner,  not  for  show,  I 
fancy,  but  because  some  one  had  blundered.  At  length  we  were 
paraded  in  front  of  headquarters,  and  General  Tilghman,  cf 
rort  Henry  fame,  stood  picturesquely  on  the  steps  to  receive  as. 
He  is  a  well-dressed,  good-looking  rogue,  with  the  smile  of  a 
demagogue  and  the  eye  of  a  gamester.  I  use  these  terms  ad- 
visedly. The  subscriber  happened  to  be  the  only  officer  among 
the  prisoners,  and  so  to  the  subscriber  the  lovely  Tilghman  made 
thia  sweet  speech: 

"Lieutenant,  you  will  go  to  Vicksburg  to-morrow  morning. 
In  the  meantime  you  will  have  a  private  room  fitted  up  for  you, 
and  your  meals  will  be  sent  to  you  from  the  hotel  at  the  expense 
of  the  Government.  We  desire  to  make  you  as  comfortable  as 
possible.1' 

We  touched  our  Twenty-five  Dollar  Hat,  and  the  crowd  around 
us  gaped  in  admiration  of  Tilghman  and  that  Government  which, 
through  him,  promised  to  pay  for  our  supper.  We  lifted  our 
Hundred  Dollar  Boots  with  alternate  step,  and  marched  toward 
the  private  room. 

We  reached  the  private  room.  It  was  so  called  because  it 
contained  nine  private  soldiers.  In  fact,  it  was  a  guard  room, 
It  also  contained  a  Captain  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  and 
a  surgeon  of  the  Fifth  Minnesota,  who  had  coiie  down  as  pri»- 


102  INCIDENTS  O* 

oners  the  dny  before  It  wsis  "fitted  up"  with  two  broken  shat- 
ters and  a  half  inch  of  dust  lying  on  the  floor.  The  nine  pri- 
vate soldiers,  Confederate,  were  smoking,  chewing,  and  playing 
draw  poker.  The  room  was  twelve  by  sixteen. 

Eight  o'clock  came,  but  not  the  supper  promised  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  Government,  whi«h  reminded  me  of  tho  Texan  Cap- 
tain's repudiating  policy;  aud  alao  convinced  roe  that  the  Con- 
federate Government  does  not  pay  expenses.  The  fcict  wa*  that 
the  keeper  of  the  hotel  received  an  order  for  it,  but,  like  Louis 
Napoleon,  did  not  recognize  the  Confederacy.  We  rose  in  our 
wrath : 

"Sergeant  of  the  guard,  your  General  made  me  some  very 
kind  promises,  but  they  are  not  performed,  Shoulder  your  mus- 
ket and  take  me  out  to  eatJ' 

-  He  obeyed;  we  marched  half  a  mite  and  got  a-  sapper,  paving 
a  dollar  for  it.  You  pay  one  dollar  per  meal  all  over  the  Con- 
federacy. It  is  generally  a  corn  meal,  as  it  consists  of  corn 
fcread,  corn  coffee,  and  corn-fed  bacon. 

We  returned  to  our  private  room,  hired  a  piece  of  blanket 
from  the  Sergeant — they  have  no  blankets  in  Dixie  to  speak  of- — 
laid  it  in  a  corner,  made  a  pillow  of  one  of  the  broken  shutters,  and 
thereupon  the  Captain  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  and  the 
reliable  gentleman  lay  down  and  slept  the  sleep  of  innocence. 

Next  morning,  without  breakfast,  we  took  the  7  o'clock  train- 
for  Vicksburg,  O,  Tilghuaark! 

At  the  depot;  on  his  wny  to  join.  Price  at  Tuka,  we  saw  that 
chief  of  political  sinners,  John  C.  Breckinrklge,  the  man  who 
played  a  game  for  the  Presidency,  got  beaten*,  and  now  refuses 
to  give  up  the  stakes.  For  this  let  second-rate  gamblers  look 
down  on  him. with  contempt.  He  seemed  to  be  in  good  health, 
wore  a  linen  coat,  and  a  sort  of  Bowery  collar  and  scarf.  It 
was  easy  to  detect  in  his  manner  a  mind  ill  at  ease. 

To  the  careless  observer,  the  South  might  seem  a  unit  in  ita 
plans,  both  for  the  present  and  the  future.     The  men  who  talk 
with  prisoners  for  the  most  part  sing  one  song — 
"  We  nerer  will  subciit." 

Yet  underneath  this  external  sameness  lie  the  force  of  dissent 
and  revolution.  A  lieutenant  of  rebel  cavalry  at  luka  said  to  a 
friend  of  mine: 

"1  am  from  Memphis;  owe*New  York  City  $50,000,  which  I 
am  able  to  pay  whe-n  peace  comes.  I  am  a  Secessionist  from 
the  ground  up.  And  I  te-11  you,  sir,  we  shall  be  successful. 
We  will  hold  Virginia.  We  will  take  Kentucky — with  her  con- 
pent,  if  we  can,  without  it  if  we  must.  And  with  our  northern 
line  on  the  Ohio  we  will  build  up  the  most  magnificent  aristo- 
cratic republic  the  world  has  ever  seen.  D — n  Democracy,  we 
want  an  aristocracy — capital  must  own  it*  own  labor." 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  ]Q« 

Yet  when  my  friend  reported  this  speech  to  another  rebel 
officer  at  Vicksburg,  the  latter  clenched  his  teeth  and  said  : 

"lam  a  'poor  white;'  never  owned  a  negro  and  never  want 
to — and  [  can  tell  you  that  when  rich  slaveholders  try  to  set  up 
an  aristocracy  there  will  be  another  rebellion  here  on  Southern 
soil!" 

Another  curious  fact.  On  our  journey  from  Tupelo  to  Vicks- 
burg  we  twice  drank  with  rebel  officers  this  toast:  "The  restora- 
tion of  the  Union." 

We  were  told,  of  course,  that  there  were  no  Union  men  in  the 
South.  Yet  two  companies  of  Mississippians  were  lately  re- 
cruited and  drilled  by  our  officers  at  luka,  and  many  more 
individually  joined  Northern  regiments.  An  Illinois  Captain, 
who  helped  to  drill  them,  told  me  that  with  two  hundred  cavalry 
at  his  command,  he  could  have  gone  into  the  hill  country  of 
North  Alabama  and  there  raised  a  brigade  of  four  thousand 
men.  The  prayer  of  Northern  Alabama,  as  of  Eastern  Tennes- 
see, has  been  from  the  beginning,  "Come  over  and  help  us.". 

One  thins  I  especially  observed  in  conversation  with  soldiers 
and  citizens — moderate  and  radical— an  intense  desire  for  peace. 
"When  will  the  war  end?"  was  the  sad,  weary  question  ad; 
dressed  to  me  a  hundred  times.  In  Vicksburg  1  replied  sol- 
emnly: 

"  Well,  I  am  no  prophet,  but  1  think  that  in  two  or  three  years 
the  Union  forces  of  the  nation  will  fairly  get  under  way,  and 
begin  to  prosecute  the  war  in  earnest." 

It  was  amusing  to  see  the  look  of  dismay  which  clouded  the 
face  of  my  inquiring  enemy.  No  wonder  they  desire  peace.  A 
self-indulgent  people  reduced  to  destitution  and  almost  total 
abstinence  from  the  material  comforts  of  life,  they  can  not  but 
sig'i  for  the  good  old  times. 

The  fact  is.  the  rebellion  is  a  gigantic  game  of  "bluff."  In 
cards,  that  is  the  representative  game  of  the  South,  and  partic- 
ularly the  South -West.  Its  greatest  triumphs  are  achieved  by 
betting  largely,  and  with  a  confident  countenance  on  a  weak 
hand,  and  so  frightening  your  adversary  into  a  surrender  of  the 
stakes. 

Nor  is  the  rebel  army  a  unit.  I  heard  several  times  an  ex- 
pression of  the  opinion  that  half  its  officers  ought  to  be  shot. 
Bragg  is  especially  odious.  A  private  soldier  said  in  my  hearing: 

"  T  reckon  he'll  be  shot  by  his  own  men  in  the  first  fight." 

About  noon  we  rolled  into  Vicksburg,  and  were  sent  to  the 
Washington  Hotel,  the  best  house  in  the  city.  There  you  pay 
$4  per  day,  and  live  on  corn  bread  without  salt  in  it.  No  milk, 
no  tea,  no  coffee,  no  butter,  no  wheaten  bread.  We  were  kindly 
told  that  if  we  had  no  Confederate  money,  our  bills  would  be 
paid  by  the  Government.  We  had  no  Confederate  money. 


J04  INCIDENTS  OF 

Next  morning  our  deliverance  came,  and  in  company  with 
Major  Watts,  the  portly  Confederate  Commissioner  for  the 
exchange  of  prisoners,  we  boarded  the  steamer  Paul  Jonea  and 
sailed  to  our  flag-of-truce  fleet,  which  lay  seven  miles  above.  Its 
boats,  eight  in  number,  had  just  brought  down  the  rebel  pris- 
-oners  from  Johnson's  Island,  Alton,  Camp  Douglas  and  Camp 
Butler. 

As  Major  Watts  parted  from  us  and  handed  us  our  paroles,  I 
said: 

"  Major,  does  this  document  prevent  us  from  going  up  to  Min- 
nesota to  fight  the  Indians?" 

"Eh?-»-yes,  yes,  certainly." 

"Are  those  red  skins  allies  of  the  Confederacy?" 

"  Well — I  don't  know." 

Nor,  I  ''ancy,  do  we  of  the  North  know  whether  or  not  the 
wrath  of  the  Sioux  is  prompted  by  Davis,  Pike  «fe  Co. 

We  lay  alongside  the  steamer  T.  L.  Magill.  The  blessed  bun- 
ting of  America  floated  brightly  at  the  stern,  a  white  flag  waved 
its  low  wings  at  the  bow,  the  gunboat  Cairo  gave  us  a  grim  smile 
with  its  iron  lips.  We  stepped  aboard  and  bade,  not  mournfully, 
good-bye  to  Dixie. 


A  REBEL  OFFICER'S  STORY. 

At  Powell's  river  I  stopped  and  engaged  more  milk  of  an  old 
Lincolnite  jade,  keen  as  a  brier,  and  mother  of  three  (and  I  don't 
know  how  many  more)  rather  nice  looking  gals.  She  complained 
'to  me  of  having  been  rudely  treated  by  a  North  Carolina  officer 
the  morning  previous.  Arriving  at  camp  I  informed  the  officer 
of  the  old  lady's  story,  and  he  told  me  that,  knowing  their  polit- 
ical status,  he  had  placed  a  guard  around  the  house,  to  keep  any 
of  the  family  from  going  to  the  Gap,  while  our  army  was  cross- 
ing the  river,  and  that,  in  the  meantime,  the  following  conver- 
sation took  place : 

Officer. — (Entering  the  house.)  "Good  morning,  ma'am." 
No  answer.  "  Where  is  your  husband,  ma'am?  " 

Old  Woman. — "None  of  your  business,  you  rebel  you.'1 
Officer. — "1  know.     He  is  in  the  Yankee  army." 
Old  Woman. — "Well  he  is.     What  are  you  going  to  do  about 
it?     He  is  in  the  First  Tennessee  Federal  Regiment  at  Cumber- 
land Gap,  and  will  take  off  your  rebel  head  if  you  go  up  there.1' 
Officer. — "Yes.     But  we  have  him  and  your  General  Morgan's 
whole  command  completely  surrounded — hemmed   in — with   an 
army  on  both  sides  of  the  Gap,  and  in  a  few  days   they  will  b« 
starved  out,  and  have  to  surrender  upon  our  own  terms." 


SOLDIER  LIFK. 


Old  Woman.—  "We  know  all  that,  and  are  easy.  But  Lincoln 
will  send  an  army  through  Kentucky,  which  will  wipe  out  voup 
General  Smith,  just  like  a  dog  would  lick  out  a  plate,  and  'then 
you  and  your  army  of  barefooted,  roasting-ear  stealers  will  hav« 
to  leave  here  in  the  dark  again,  and  badlv  scared  at  that.  Be- 
sides this — " 

Officer.— "That's  your  opinion,  but  you  are  deluded  Where 
were  you  born?" 

^)ld  Woman.— "  Born !  Why  I  was  born  and  raised  in  Ten- 
nessee. I  am  an  Old  Hickory  Tennessean — dead  out  against 
Nullification,  and  its  bastard  offspring,  Secession.  But  where 
are  you  from?" 

Officer— "I  am  from  North  Carolina,  but  a  native  of  South 
Carolina." 

Old  Woman. — ''A  South  Carolinian — scion  of  Nullification 

double  rebel,  double  devil.  Old  Jackson  made  your  little  turnip 
patch  of  a  State  walk  the  chalk  once,  and  Old  Abe  Lincoln  will 
give  you  rebels  hell  before  spring." 

Officer.— (Quitting  the  old  lady  and  turning  to  the  eldest 
daughter,  whom  he  recognized  as  a  mother.)  ''Madam,  where 
i«  your  husband?" 

Youug  Woman. — ''That  is  none  of  your  business." 

Officer. — "  Hut  it  is  my  business.     Where  is  he?" 

^Young  Woman.—"  Where  L  hope  I'll  never  see  him  again. 
Where  1  hope  you'll  soon  be." 

Officer.— "  Where  is  that?" 

Young  Woman.—"  Why,  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  army 
at  the  Gap."  •• 

Officer.—"  What  is  that  for  ?  " 

Young  Woman.— "For  being  what  you  are,  an  infernal  rebel." 

Officer.— "Oh,  if  that's  all,  1  will  send  him  back  to  you  as  soon 
as  we  take  the  Gap." 

Young  Woman.—"  No  you  needn't.  Cust  if  he  ever  sleepa  in 
my  bed  again.  Here,  Bet,  (calling  a  nurse,)  take  this  little  rebel 
and  give  him  Union  milk.  Let  us  try  and  get  the  'Secesh'  out 
of  him." 

Officer. — (Turning  to  a  Miss.)  "  Did  you  find  a  beau  among 
the  Yankee  officers?" 

Miss.— "Yes,  1  did;  a  nice,  sweet,  gallant  fellow;  one  who 
stepped  like  a  prince.  When  you  become  his  prisoner,  give  him 
my  love;  and  tell  him  for  my  sake  to  put  a  trace  chain  around 
your  infernal  neck." 

Officer. — "  When  do  you  expect  to  see  him  again?' 

Miss.— ''Just  after  your  General  takes  the  next  "big  scare," 
which  will  be  in  ten  days  from  this  time." 

Daylight  having  broken,  and  the  army  having  crossed  the  river, 
the  conversation  I  have  given  terminated.  ' 


10g  INCIDENTS  OT 

FORESHADOWING  OF  DEATH. 

Presentiments  on  the  battle  field  often  prove  prophetic.  Here 
is  an  instance:  While  Col.  Osterhaua  was  gallantly  attacking 
the  center  of  the  enemy  on  the  second  day,  a  sergeant  of  the 
Twelfth  Missouri  requested  the  captain  of  his  company  to  send 
his  wife's  portrait,  which  he  had  taken  from  his  bosom,  to  her 
address  in  St.  Louis,  with  his  dying  declaration  that  he  thought 
of  her  in  his  last  moments. 

"What  is  that  for?"  asked  his  captain,  "you  are  not  woun 
ded,  are  you?" 

"No,"  answered  the  sergeant;  "but  1  know  I  shall  be  killed 
to-day.  I  have  been  in  battle  before,  but  1  never  felt  as  I  do 
now.  A  moment  ago,  L  became  convinced  my  time  had  come, 
but  how  J  can  not  tell.  Will  you  gratify  my  request?  Remem- 
ber, I  speak  to  you  as  a  dying  man." 

''Certainly,  my  brave  fellow;  but  you  will  live  to  a  good  old 
age  with  your  wife.  Do  not  grow  melancholy  over  a  fancy  or  A 
dream." 

"You  will  see,"  was  the  response. 

The  picture  changed  hands.  The  sergeant  stepped  forward 
to  the  front  of  the  column,  and  the  lieutenant  perceived  him  no 
more. 

At  the  camp-fire  that  evening  the  officers  inquired  for  the  set- 
geant.  He  was  not  present.  He  had  been  killed  three  hours 
before,  by  a  grape-shot  from  one  of  the  enemy's  batteries. 


WIDOWS  PROVIDED  FOR. 

When  the  Corn  Exchange's  last  corps  left  Philadelphia,  there 
was,  among  the  men,  one  who  had  been  recently  married.  While 
they  were  waiting  for  the  order  to  march,  the  young  wife  was 
taking  leave  of  her  husband,  in  accents  broken,  and  eyes  that 
lay  bedewed  in  tears,  like  violets  in  a  summer  shower.  The 
man  caressed  her,  but  the  tears  still  started;  lie  told  her  of  th« 
patriotism  and  munificence  of  the  Corn  Exchange  Association, 
yet  the  crystals  continued  to  fall;  he  told  her  of  the  country's 
danger,  but  her  anguish  was  not  soothed.  At  last,  weary  of  hi* 
endeavors,  he  tried  another  tack. 

"Sally,"  said  he,  "quit  crying.  You  see  what  the  Corn  Ex- 
change has  done.  They've  paid  you  my  bounty,  fitted  me  out, 
and  everything." 

"Yes/   the  girl  sobbed,  ''but" — 

"But  what?" 

l'15ut  if  you  get  killed — what  then?" 


SOLDIER   LIFE.  j^-j 

u  Why" — the  man  hesitated  far  a  moment  until  a  lucky  thought 
truck  him — "  Why  then  the  Corn  Exchange  will  find  you  a»- 
tther  husband." 

The  ludicrousness  of  the  idtea  changed  the  current  of  the 
girl's  feelings,  and  a  smile  wreathed  her  pretty  mouth  and  dina- 
ples  in  a  manner  that  was  pleasant  to  behold.  The  last  tear 
rolled  away,  and  as  the  word  '"forward"  was  given,  she  gave  the 
young  recruit  a  last  kiss,  and  departed  ia  good  cheer. 


A  BOWIE  KNIFE  CONFLICT. 

This  rebellion  has  been  prolific  of  many  deeds  of  wanton 
daring,  and  deliberate  hand  to  hand  conflicts.  The  following  is 
one  of  th-e  most  frightful: 

A  aold-ier  belonging  to  the  25th  Missouri  and  a  member  of  » 
Mississippi  company  became  separated  from  their  commands, 
and  found  each  other  climbing  the  same  fence.  The  Rebel  had 
one  of  those  long  knives  made  of  a  file,  which  the  South  had  so 
extensively  paraded,  but  so  rarely  used,  and  the  Missourian had 
one  also,  having  picked  it  up  on  the  field. 

The  Rebel  challenged  his  enemy  to  a  fair,  open  combat  with 
the  knife,  intending  to  bully  him,  no  doubt,  and  the  challenge 
was  promptly  accepted.  The  two  removed  their  coats,  rolled  up 
their  sleeves,  and  began.  The  Mississippian  had  more  skill,  but 
his  opponent  had  more  strength,  and  consequently  the  latter 
could  not  strike  his  enemy,  while  he  received  several  cuts  on  the 
head  and  breast.  The  blood  began  trickling  rapidly  down  the 
Unionist's  face,  and  running  into  his  eyes,  almost  blinded  him. 
The  Union  man  became  desperate,  for  he  saw  the  Secessionist 
was  unhurt.  He  made  a  feint;  the  Rebel  leaned  forward  to 
arrest  the  blow,  but  employing  too  much' eneriry,  he  could  not 
recover  himself  at  once.  The  Missouri-an  saw  his  advantage, 
and  knew  he  could  not  lose  it.  In  five  seconds  more  it  would 
bo  too  late.  His  enemy  glared  at  him  like  a  wild  beast:  was  oa 
the  eve  of  striking  him  again.  Another  feint;  another  dodge 
on  the  Rebel's  part,  and  then  the  heavy  blade  of  the  Missourian 
hurtled  through  the  air,  and  fell  with  tremendous  force  upon  the 
Mississippian's  neck.  The  blood  spurted  from  the  throat,  and 
the  head  fell  over,  almost  entirely  severed  from  the  body.  Ghastly 
•ight,  too  ghastly  even  for  the  doer  of  the  deed!  He  fainted  at 
the  spectacle,  weakened  by  the  loss  of  his  own  blood,  and  was 
soon  after  butchered  by  a  Serainole,  who  saw  him  sink  to  the 
earth 


IQg  INCIDENTS  OK 

THE  HEROINE  OF  SPRINGFIELD. 

At  the  time  when  the  rebel  General  Price  was  marching  his 
troops  towards  Springfield,  Missouri,  the  report  got  spread  about 
among  a  few  loyal  families  that  they  were  the  Federal  troops. 
On  the  strength  of  this  news  a  few  ventured  to  hang  out  Union 
flags.  A  rebel  sergeant,  noticing  one  of  these  hanging  from  an 
upper  window,  boldly  marched  in,  and  meeting  the  lady  of  the 
house,  a  Mrs.  Hart,  acvcosted  her  in  the  following  rebellious 
manner: 

"See  here,  you  old  she  Lincolnite,  just  haul  down  that  striped 
rag,  will  you  ?" 

Now  Mrs.  Hart,  having  full  confidence  in  the  report  she  ha-1 
just  heard,  looked  the  rude  intruder  full  in  the  eye,  and  an- 
swered : 

"  No,  air;  that  is  my  flag  and  my  window,  and  they  are  not  to 
be  parted,  at  present." 

"The  h — 1  you  say,"  replied  the  sergeant.  "Then  I'll  do  it 
myself.  We  ain't  iroing  to  have  any  more  of  them  dirty  rage 
disgracing  Springfield."  ~ 

Mrs.  Hart  sprang  before  him,  as  he  stepped  towards  the  stairs, 
exclaiming: 

"D.ire  you  pollute  that  sacred  flag  with  your  miserable  rebel 
fingers?  Shame  on  you  !  Leave  my  house,  instantly !" 

"Will  you  take  down  that  flag,  then?"  asked  the  sergeant. 

Mrs.  Hart  was  alone  in  the  house,  and  she  felt  all  the  peril  of 
her  situation;  but  she  was  determined  to  protect  her  flag,  and 
she  replied,  firmly : 

"No,  sir.  never!  Neither  shall  you.  Again  I  command  you 
to  leave  my  house,  or  you  shall  feel  the  consequence.  Go  about 
your  business." 

"Go  about  the  devil!"  replied  the  sergeant,  rudely. 

"There's  no  doubt  about  that,"  said  Mrs.  Hart,  coolly,  "and 
the  quicker  you  go  the  better." 

The  sergeant  was  exasperated,  now,  and  catching  her  rudely 
by  the  arm,  he  jerked  her  on  one  side,  and  rushed  up  the  stairs. 
.The  brave  woman  followed  close  at  his  heels,  and  just  as  he  had 
dragged  the  flag  from  the  window,  she  caught  it,  and  stripping 
it  from  the  staff,  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  she  thrust  it  out  of 
the  window  and  held  it  there. 

''You  cussed  hag!"  exclaimed  the  sergeant  furiously,  "if  you 
don't  give  .me  that  flag  I'll  pitch  you  out  of  the  window." 

"  Do,  sir,  if  you  dare !"  said  the  woman.  "There's  a  Union 
army  coming  into  town,  and  if  you  don't  leave  you'll  be  made  a 
prisoner." 

"Union  h — 1!"  said  the  sergeant.  "It's  General  Price'i 
army." 


SOLDIER  LIFE.  JQQ 

"  I  don't  believe  you,  sir,"  replied  the  heroine;  •'  but  if  it  was 
the  whole  rebel  host,  this  flag  shall  wave  at  the  window  as  long 
as  I  have  an  arm! " 

The  sergeant  canght  her  by  the  arm  and  was  pulling  her 
away  from  the  window,  when  the  boom  of  a  cannon  was  heard. 

"There,"  he  said,  "Price  has  coine.  Now  you  abolitionists 
will  catch  h — 1 !  " 

He  had  no  sooner  uttered  this,  than  crash  came  a  twelve 
pound  shot  through  the  room,  not  three  feet  from  their  heads, 
dashing  the  crumbling  plastering  in  their  faces..  The  sergeant 
sprang  across  the  room,  and  giving  one  look  at  the  woman, 
rushed  down  the  stairs;  while  she,  the  pale,  but  cool  and  fear- 
less heroine,  stood  there,  grand  in  her  pallor,  gloriously  waving 
the  flag  from  the  window.  When  the  man  was  gone,  she  fastened 
the  flag  to  the  staff,  and  replacing  it  in  her  window,  started 
downstairs;  but  the  excitement  had  been  too  excessive.  The 
reaction  had  come,  and  when  she  reached  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 
she  fell  senseless  in  the  hall.  One  of  her  neighbors,  who  saw 
the  shot  pass  through  the  house,  at  this  .moment  came  in  to  see 
if  any  one  was  injured,  and  found  her  in  this  condition.  The 
shock  had  been  so  great  upon  Mrs.  Hart  that  she  lay  for  many 
weeks  between  life  and  death,  but  finally  recovered,  and  still 
lives  to  see  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  from  her  window. 

General  Price  did  not  bombard  the  city,  but  merely,  by  way 
of  announcing  his  arrival,  fired  a  twelve  pounder  through  Main 
street.  He  took  possession  of  the  place,  but  did  not  long  retain 
it,  for  he  was  shortly  driven  out  by  General  Curtis. 


THE  JOLLY  SOLDIER. 

It  is  wonderful  to  what  an  extent  jollity  and  good  nature 
prevails  among  the  wounded  and  disabled  soldiers.  They  seem 
to  consider  it  a  natural  consequence  of  the  war — a  sort  of  matter 
of  course  affair,  and  bravely  submit  to  their  misfortunes  with  a 
fortitude  that  is  truly  surprising. 

Among  the  most  remarkable  characters  of  this  class,  was  Joe 
Parsons,  of  Baltimore,  a  rude,  boy,  who  formerly  belonged  to 
that  fraternity  of  freedom  called  "  Roughs." 

Poor  Joe!  his  was  a  sad  fate,  though  he  took  it  pleasantly 
enough.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist  in  the  1st  Maryland  regi- 
ment, and  marched  boldly  and  recklessly  forth  at  the  call  of  his 
country;  and  all  through  that  long,  hard  fought,  terrific  battle 
of  Antietam.  he  hurled  death  to  the  foe,  thinking  little  of  him- 
self and  caring  less,  until  an  unlucky  bullet  passed  through  both 
his  eyes,  destroying  Ins  sight  forever.  He  was  taken  to  the 


HQ  INCIDENTS  OF 

hospital,  and  while  there  he  was  visited  by  a  Boston  correspond- 
«nt,  who  gives  the  following  graphic  account  .of  the  interview. 

Joe  was  busily  singing  ''I'm  a  bold  soldier  boy."  Observing 
the  broad  bandgage  over  his  eyes,  I  said  to  him: 

"  What,' s  your  name,  my  good  fellow?" 

"Joe,  sir,"  he  answered;  "Joe  Parsons." 

'And  what  is  the  matter  with  you?" 

'Blind,  sir;  blind  as  a  bat." 

'In  battle?" 

'  Yes,  at  Antietam.     Both  eyes  shot  out  at  one  clip. 

'Ah,  that  is  dreadful,"  said  I. 

'Yes,  tolerable;"  said  Joe,  "but  yer  see  it  might  ha'  been 
worse — a  heap  worse.  I'm  glad  enough  that  I'm  alive  at  all." 

"  How  did  it  happen  ?  " 

"Well,  sir,  yon  see  1  was  hit,  and  it  knocked  me  plum  down. 
I  didn't  mind  it  much.  1  lay  there  all  night,  and  the  next  day 
the  fight  begun  agin,  hot  and  heavy.  The  cannon  boomed  and 
the  old  muskets  rattled.  I  wanted  to  be  with  'em  —  I  wanted  a 
hand  at  that  ar  myself;  "but  yer  see  I  couldn't  on  account  of  my 
eyes,  that  I  hadn't  got  any  more.  I  could  stand  the  pain,  yer 
see,  but  the  balls  was  a  flying  all  around,  and  I  wanted  to  get 
away.  I  couldn't  see  nothin'  though.  So  1  waited,  and  listened; 
and  at  last  I  heard  a  feller  groanin'  beyond  me." 

41  Hello ! "  says  I. 

"Hello  yourself"  says  he.  „ 

"Who  be  yer?"  says  I — "a  rebel? 

"  I  am  that,"  say«s  he.  "  I  reckon  you're  one  of  the  bully 
"Vankees?" 

"So  I  am,"  says  I.     "What's  the  matter  with  you?" 

"My  leg's  smashed,"  says  he. 

"C;in't  yer  walk?" 

"  No." 

"Can  yer  see?" 

"Yes.'' 

"Well,"  says  I,  "you're  a  d — d  rebel,  but  will  you  do  me  a 
little  favor?" 

"  I  will  ef  I  can." 

Then  I  says:  "Well,  ole  butternut,  I  can't  see  nothin';  my 
,cyos  is  knocked  out;  but  I  ken  walk.  Come  over  here.  Let's 
get  out  of  this  You  pint  the  way,  and  I'll  tote  yer  off  the  field 
on  my  back." 

"  Bully  for  you  ! "  says  he. 

"So  we  managed  it  together.  We  shook  hands  on  it.  I  took 
a  wink  on  ten  his  canteen,  and  he  got  onto  my  shoulders.  I  did 
the  walkin'  and  he  did  the  navigatin'.  And  ef  he  didn  t  make 
me  carry  him  to  his  Colonel's  tent,  annile  atray,  I'm  a  liar. 
Hows' ever,  the  Colonel  came  up  and  says  he: 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

070  7O9R1I  C001 

INCIDENTS  OF  THE  WAR,  OR,  THE  ROMANCE  AN 


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